§ilil§§~ 


Elastic  Stociiflis 

TRUSSES.  ETC. 

Haussmann&DunnCo. 

107  South  Clark  St. 
CHICAGO. 


0  i-> 


SECOND  EDITION 

REVISED 


A  SHORT  AND  PLAIN  EXPLANATION 


OF  . 


FARMER  MILES'  METHODS 


OF 


[ 


AND  AFTER  TREATMENT 

WHEN     NECESSARY 

WITH  ILLUSTRATION'S 


By  FARMER  MILES 

CHARLESTON,   ILL. 
U.   S.   A. 


Q 


1898 


COPYRIGHTED     BY 

"FARMER"  T.  C.  .MILES 

Washington,  I).  C. 

1898 


PREFACE 

In  boyhood  I  had  a  natural  fondness  for  animal  surgery. 
My  father  being  a  physician,  I  naturally  acquired,  through 
him,  more  or  less  knowledge  in  that  line.  I  moved  from 
Kentucky  to  Illinois  in  1846,  where  I  had  a  large  farm  and 
was  raising  all  kinds  of  sto^k.  There  being  no  veterinarys 
near,  I  was  compelled  to  frequently  use  the  knife,  first  for 
myself,  then  for  my  neighbors.  In  those  early  frontier  days 
here  in  Illinois  neighbor  helped  neighbor,  and  I  appeared 
to  be  the  one  always  called  upon  to  do  the  surgery,  until 
so  much  practice  gave  me  a  reputation  second  to  no  one 
living  near.  Then  ridgling  horses  were  almost  worth- 
less, and  my  neighbors  would  sometimes  ask  me  to  "cut  or 
kill  them."  I  always  did  one  thing,  and  sometimes  both, 
but  free  of  all  charge.  In  thus  experimenting,  I  obtained 
a  reputation  thirty  years  ago,  which  caused  me  to  stop 
farming  and  travel  most  of  the  time,  in  answer  to  calls,  over 
this  country,  from  Maine  to  California.  I  also  spent  one 
year  on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic,  in  England,  Ireland 
and  Scotland,  where  I  performed  many  operations  in  ani- 
mal surgery  in    1878. 

This  little  book  is  intended  as  an  expose  of  my  favorite 
methods,  ropes,  instruments,  and  after  treatment.  I  have 
tried  to  make  it  plain,  and  truthful,  as  well  as  helpful,  to 
all  castraters  and  farmers.  Trusting  it  will  be  a  benefit  to 
many  thousands  of  owners,  and  a  mercy  to  all  stock  yet  to 
be  castrated,   I  am  Yours  truly, 

Farmer  Miles. 


EXPLANATION 

About  twenty-five  years  ago  I  wrote  a  pamphlet  on  Cas- 
tration and  Spaying  stock,  and  soon  sold  out  all  I  had 
at  $5  a  copy.  In  1877  I  was  invited  to  England  by  Geo. 
Fleming,  V.  S.  of  the  Queen's  Life  Guard  and  a  noted 
V.  S.  writer.  I  went  in  18 78,  to  stay  one  month  only, 
but  stayed  one  year,  castrating  in  all  portions  of  EKgland. 
Soon  after  my  return,  many  students  wanted  to  learn  my 
methods,  in  my  specialty,  and  followed  me  around,  and 
wanted  me  to  go  with  them  to  different  places,  which  did 
not  work  well. 

Several  years  later  I  prepared  myself  to  teach  my  meth- 
ods to  classes,  ten  days  in  each  April,  heie  at  my  home,  on 
the  royalty  plan,  every  pupil  giving  me  a  bond,  signed  by 
two  responsible  securities,  that  they  would  pay  me  my 
small  loyalty  (my  only  fee  for  instructions)  monthly  for  ten 
years.  For  some  time  previous  to  the  time  for  my  annual 
classes  I  advertised  in  six  or  eight  counties  adjoining  my 
home,  for  farmers,  stockmen  and  friends  to  bring  in  their 
stock,  and  I  would  do  all  their  work  free,  in  that  ten  days, 
so  I  would  have  plenty  of  work  during  that  time,  to  show 
and  explain  my  methods  fully  to  my  pupils.  In  six  years 
I  fully  instructed  120  men,  only  twelve  of  whom  have  prov- 
en honest  regarding  the  payment  of  the  royalty.  I  did  not 
like  to  induce  men  to  lie,  so  discontinued  that  method.  I 
then  thought  best  to  print  a  complete  expose  of  my  methods, 
ropes,  and  instruments,  and  take  the  book  to  England  to 
sell   at  S25  a  copy,  as  that  was  what  they  paid  me  for  every 


ridgling  I  cut  over  there,  seventeen  years  before.  I  sold 
some  of  the  books  at  that  price,  but  found  the  price  too  high, 
and  later  sold  them  at  Sio  each. 

Experience  has  taught  me  the  necessity  of  many  essen- 
tial improvements,  and  I  have  consequently  revised  that 
English  edition,  leaving  out  a  little,  and  putting  in  more  of 
better  and  later  methods,  learned  by  actual  experience  since 
the  publication  of  the  English  edition,  adding  new  illustra- 
tions, so  you  will  more  fuily  know  how  I  do,  and  fully  under- 
stand my  remarks  and  advice  to  you.  This  revised  book  will 
cost  you  only  $2,  and  after  you  have  read  it  through  five  or 
six  times  and  prove  yourself  a  competent  workman,  you  can 
sell  the  book  for  $2  to  some  friend  in  another  county,  and 
help  the  country  along,  in  a  humane  and  much  improved 
method  of  castration,  and  spaying  of  all  stock,  and  dogs  and 
introduce  my  string  Ecraseur,    that   you  can  make  and  use. 


o 

z 

h 

D 

o 


ANIMAL  CASTRATION 


I  commenced  the  castration  of  stock  in  1850,  without 
books,  teacher  or  theory,  not  thinking  then,  or  for  years  af- 
ter, that  I  would  ever  leave  my  immediate  neighborhood  on 
such  business,  but  I  now  think  I  have  traveled  over  more 
territory  in  this  business,  than  any  ten  castraters  I  ever 
heard  of,  and  I  have  tried  all  known  methods  worth  consid- 
ering. I  have  had  the  counsel  and  advice  of  some  of  the 
best  M.  D's  at  all  times.  I  have  liked  the  business  more 
and  more,  even  so  much  as  to  neglect  my  farming  entirely, 
and  have  given  all  my  time  and  attention  to  it.  I  got  the  prize 
at  our  Centennial  Exposition  at  Philadelphia,  Sept.  14,  1876 
as  the  best  castrater  of  ridgling  horses  in  the  U.  S.  I  do  not 
claim  to  know  it  all,  but  do  claim  to  be  in  good  practice,  and 
to  do  tver\  operation  the  best  I  can,  which  is  usually  satis- 
factory to  all  parties  concerned. 


THE    NOSE    TWITCH. 

First,  I  like  a  nose-twitch  in  horse  surgery  better  than 
chloroform  or  ether.  The  best  twitch  I  get  ia  made  of  a 
spoke  out  oi  a  buggy  wheel,  about  sixteen  inches  long,  and 
Battened  at  the  small  end.  The  loop  at  the  large  end  of  the 
twitch  should  be  of  one-half  inch  cotton,    (or  flax  rope,   llax 


is  best)  spliced  in  thirteen  inches  long,  and  a  large  twine 
string,  three  feet  long,  should  be  fastened  in  the  middle  to 
the  small  end  of  twitch,  like  the  cut  of  the  twitch. 

I  have  never  seen  but  three  or  four  horses  that  I  could 
not  get  the  twitch  on  while  standing.  The  twitch  loop 
should  be  over  the  left  wrist;  then  gently  grasp  all  of  the 
upper  lip  you  can.  with  left  hand  and,  with  a  slow  move- 
ment, twist  the  twitch  until  it  binds  the  nose  lightly;  then, 
with  both  hands  on  the  twitch,  turn  slowly,  stiil  tighter, 
until  the  colt  raises  his  head  and  winks  his  eye,  then  stop 
and  turn  the  small  end  of  the  twitch  slowly  up  beside  the 
halter  and  tie  it  there,  with  the  long  strings  on  the  small 
end  of  the  twitch,  in  a  bow-knot  in  No.  4.  Now  ask  the 
man  that  is  to  hold  the  colt's  head  while  casting  him, 
''Please  Sir,  do  not  touch  the  twitch  until  we  are  through 
operating  on  this  horse,  or  colt." 

In  common  castration  of  colts  and  stallions,  I  tried  all 
the  different  methods  known  I  could  think  of.  I  have  made 
a  choice  of  all  methods  for  my  own  use,  and  this  little  book 
is  intended  as  a  full  expose  and  explanation  of  my  present 
methods  and  practice.  To  meet  a  demand  for  my  printed 
methods,  my  ropes  and  instruments  are  shown,  so  as  to 
more  fully  explain  my  use  of  them. 

I  wili  now  speak  of  colt  or  common  castration  in  a  gen- 
eral way.  First  halter  the  colt  with  a  leather  head-halter, 
and  have  a  one-half  inch  rope  twelve  feet  long,  to  tie  in  the 
halter  ring  beside  the  other  strap.  I  call  it  the  chin  rope, 
on  the  halter;  now  take  a  half  hitch  on  the  under  jaw  with  the 
rope,  and  push  the  lips  in  under  the  rope;  next,  put  on  the 
nose-twitch,  as  above  described  and  shown  best  in  cut  No. 
4  and  tied  to   the  halter   properly.      Then  nearly  every  colt 


will  stand  still.  Have  two  knee  ropes  ]/2  inch  seven  feet  long. 
Have  one  y%  inch  surcingle  rope  seven  feet  long,  tie  a  three 
inch  iron  ring  in  one  end  of  surcingle,  and  gently  slip  it 
over  his  back,  and  tie  it  good.  Take  one  knee  rope  seven 
feet  long,  tie  the  ends  together  and  loop  it  in  the  middle  un- 
der the  belly,  on  this  surcingle,  it  belongs  there  all  the  time, 
for  several  reasons  I  will  give  you  later  on.  Cut  i  shows  a 
grown  horse,  with  his  right  foot  looped  up,  by  that  knee  rope, 
being  wrapped  around  his  right  ankle  two  or  three  times, 
sulking,  because  the  twitch  is  on  just  right,  and  he  don't 
seem  to  care  whether  he  is  up  or  down,  now  if  all  three  men 
pull  firmly  and  slow,  I  think  he  will  lie  down  himself.  I 
know  he  will,  if  the  castrator  will  turn  his  nose  around  to 
the  left  side  and  say  pull.  I  like  to  let  him  put  his  knee 
down  first  and  turn  over  as  in  cut  5,  without  a  struggle. 
Now  having  first  looped  one  knee  rope  seven  feet  long,  in 
the  middle,  loop  it,  about  twenty  inches  from  the  three  inch 
ring  on  the  circingle,  so  as  to  hang  down  loose  under 
the  belly,  for  after  service,  now  put  on  the  circingle,  as 
cut  1  shows  and  tie  it  good,  then  put  the  chin  rope 
through  the  ring  on  his  side  over  the  back;  now 
one  man  should  hold  that  rope  loosely,  ready  to  pull, 
when  told  to  pull;  and  hold  his  nose  back  on  his  side 
when  down,  as  shown  in  cut  3,  put  a  short  hobble  on  each 
hind  ankle,  and  two  on  right  fore  ankle;  one  above  and  one 
below  the  joint  as  cut  1  shows;  then  the  back  rope  around 
the  left  fore  leg  above  the  pastern,  running  it  through  the 
rings  as  described  in  the  cut  1,  like  a  thread  through  four 
needle-,  first  the  lower  ring  on  the  right  front  ankle,  then 
through  ring  on  right  hind  ankle,  then  through  the  ring 
on    the   left  hind   ankle,    then    through    ring  at  right  front 

—  9  — 


ankle  above  the  pastern,  and  draw  all  up  snug  on  the  left 
side,  lastly,  before  casting,  have  the  man  holding  the  hal- 
ter rope  from  the  half  hitch,  in  the  mouth,  through  the  ring 
and  over  the  back,  lift  the  right  fore  foot,  and  wrap  the 
knee  rope  around  it  several  times,  (as  cut  i  shows  him  on 
three    legs  only).     The    castrater   should  gently    turn    his 

FOUR  HOBBLES 


THIRTEEN"    INCHES  LONG    INTSIDE. 


BACK    KOBE    SIXTEEN    FEET    LONG. 

horse's  nose  around  to  his  left  side,  and  say,  "pull  gently 
and  hold  tight,"  and  down  hi  must  go  easily  as  in  cut  5, 
and  should  he  there  quietly.  Then  I  take  the  chin 
rope  and  run  it  through  the  lower  part  of  the  halter  and 
back  through  ring  on  circingle  and  ask  some  man  to  lift 
his  head  back  on  his  side  and  I  pull  my  rulter  rope  tight; 
confining  his  head  as  in  cut  3  but  wane  a  man  to  hold 
that  rope.  Now  I  take  the  back  rope  as  we  call  it,  that 
the  two  men  now  hold,  in  cut  5,  and  step  forward, 
and  put  the  back  rope  under  and  around  the  lower  hind 
ankle  snugly  without  jerking,  then  walk  behind  to  the 
horse's  rump  or  loin  holding  10  pounds  pressure  all 
the  time,  and  ask.  some  one  to  lift  50  pounds  up  by  the  tail, 

—  10  — 


while  I  try  to  draw  that  rope  under  the  hip,  and  also  draw 
the  under  hind  foot  near  his  bell)'  and  hold  it  there,  and 
ask  some  one  "won't  you  please  put  this  long  end  over  his 
upper  hind  foot  and  give  me  back  the  end.?"  I  then  draw 
it  tight  as  T  can  conveniently,  and  say  "men  let's  turn  him 
upon  his  back"  (as  in  cut  6,)  except  the  head  should  be  tied 
tight  to  his  left  side,  as  cut  3  shows  it  now,  by  chin  rope 
and  halter;  now  this  man  at  the  head  in  cut  6  does  no 
good,  tie  that  nose  around  tight  to  his  lelt  side  and  he 
will  lie  still,  comparatively;  now  the  four  men  chock 
the  horse  on  his  back  with  their  feet  under  him,  toes^' 
they  must  not  push  first,  against  each  other,  but  hold  ' 
his  knees,  and  hocks  and  pull  the  horse  tight  on  their  own 
feet,  as  chocks,  that  is  rights  so  far,  now  let's  tie  him  so 
that  he  cannot  hurt  himself  or  anybody  else.  I  don't  like 
to  bind  a  horse  very  tight,  when  we  first  turned  him  up  on 
his  back,  his  r'ght  hind  foot  may  have  been  too  loose;  if 
so  bear  that  foot  down  gently,  and  draw  the  back  rope 
tighter  slowly  under  him;  don't  jerk  or  he  will  struggle; 
that  is  horse  nature;  take  up  your  slack  on  his  left  hind  foot 
to  match  it,  and  wrap  your  rope  around  twice,  and  take  one 
half  hitch  and  ask  a  helper  to  hold  it,  so  it  wont  slip;  now 
unwrap  the  knee  rope  from  the  right  fore  foot,  and  loop  it 
over  both  hind  feet,  that  ties  his  hind  feet  to  his  belly  cir- 
cingle  forward,  and  the  back  rope  ties  them  to  his  hips,  and 
leaves  his  back  out  of  all  danger  of  hurt  or  strain. 

My  advice  to  all  new  beginners  is  to  get  a  colt  out  on  a 
good  place,  cast  and  tie  him  several  times.  Learn  the  A,  B, 
C  of  castration  before  you  attempt  any  surgery.  Almost 
every  man  that  attempts  colt  castration  soon  gets  conceited 
and  thinks  himself  an  expert,  when  in  fact  he  is  liable  to  do 

11 


wrong.  But  let  us  suppose  our  colt  is  now  cast  skillfully  and 
tied  slowly  and  safely,  ano  held  firmly  on  his  back  by  our 
assistants.  If  the  bag,  or  scrotum,  testicles  and  all  are  down 
well,  then  with  the  elbow  forward  between  the  hind  feet 
grasp  one  seed  at  a  time  in  the  left  hand,  and  with  a  knife, 
or  hook,  which  is  my  preference, 
split  the  bag  over  the  extreme 
hind  part  of  the  seed  one  inch 
long  into  the  water,  then  intro- 
duce the  hook  No.  i  here  de- 
scribed— all  other  blades  shut — 
and  push  forward  to  the  point 
you  wish  to  split  to;  or  repeat, 
to  cut  enough  forward;  then  turn 
the  point  of  hook  upward,  and 
with  one  gentle  pull  split  the 
skin  and  tunic,  and  that  will  ex- 
pose the  testicle.  Then  do  the 
other  the  same  way,  about  one 
inch  on  each  side  of  the  septum 
or  raphe  three  inches  long  well 
forward.  But  if  the  seeds  are 
small  and  are  not  well  down,  and 
are  hard  to  grasp  with  the  left 
hand,  grasp  the  sheath  two  inches 
behind  the  front  end  and  push  it 
forward  tightly.  Then  place  your 
hook  where  you  want  the  front  end  of  the  gash,  and  slowly 
pull  back,  with  your  hand  raised  a  little  after  the  hook  enters 
the  skin,  and  the  front  end  will  slide  along  just  under  the 
skin  and    you  will  not  cut  deeper  than  the  skin,  nor  cut  into 

—  13  — 


large  veins  just  below,  and  repeat  on  the  other  side.  Kaeh 
incision  three  inches  long.  Now  both  testicles  are  exposed 
with  (tunic)  or  striffin  on.  Split  the  tunic  and  lift  the  seeds 
up  well.  I  pull  up  about  two  pounds  on  the  average  year- 
ling and  three  or  four  pounds  on  the  average  stallion  on 
each  seed,  so  as  to  get  well  up  on  the  cords.  The  best  way 
1  think,  is  to  use  a  good  ecrasure  and  the  hook  knife  to  get 
the  testicles  exposed,  then  grasp  them  both  in  the  left  hand 
at  the  same  time,  through  the  chain  of  your  ecrasure  and 
lift  up  about  three  pounds  on  a  large  yearling  or  six  pounds 
on  a  large  stallion.  Then  with  the  right  hand  adjust  your 
chain  several  inches  up  on  the  bloody  cord  (spermatic  cord ) 
and  attachments  but  always  square  across,  and  sometimes 
over  the  exposed  ends  of  the  tunic,  which  is  not  wrong,  if 
you  like,  but  always,  after  closing  the  chain,  you  can  cut  two 
inches  of  the  tunic  off,  it  has  no  blood  in  it,  over  one  or 
both  testicles,  and  around  both  cords  at  once,  hold  now  with 
the  ecraseur  in  the  right  hand.  Now,  take  the  two  large 
cords,  one  at  a  time,  in  your  left  hand,  and  draw  them  one 
inch  or  more  through  the  chain,  so  as  to  shorten  them  still 
more.  Now  see  that  no  skin  or  extra  tissue  is  caught  un- 
der the  chain;  then  change  hands  by  graspiug  the  ecraseur 
near  the  front  end  with  the  left  hand,  with  the  thumb  rest- 
ing firmly  upon  the  chain  and  loop,  in  the  ecaseur,  then 
with  the  right  hand  quickly  take  up  all  slack  in  the  chain 
and  tighten  it  some,  enough  to  bite  it  half  off,  then  loosen  your 
chain  and  drop  towards  the  seed  one-half  inch,  and  put  on 
your  chain  tight  now,  then  with  the  left  hard  grasp  the 
middle  of  the  ecraseur  over  the  handle  to  better  hold  it,  as 
you  should;  then  grasp  the  gimlet  handle  in  the  right 
hand,   and   turn  until  one  or  both  cords  are  severed,  which 

—  14  — 


one  or  both  cords  are  liable  to  do.  But  in  ease  they  do 
not, only  press  your  left  forefinger  on  the  cords 
in  front  of  the  ecraseur,  then  turn  handle 
back  a  lew  turns  to  loosen  chain,  then 
grasp  with  ri^ht  band  one  chain  and  jerk 
it  on  through  the  cords  and  tissue,  which 
will  saw  it  off  like  a  mash  off,  which  pull 
through  the  loop,  and  all  will  be  well.  I 
expect  to  be  criticised  by  thousands  of  cas- 
traters  as  a  crank,  but  nevertheless  I  pro- 
pose to  tell  the  truth  plainly  as  I  can,  and 
candidly  express  my  preferences,  obtained 
by  thirty  years  of  practice.  In  speaking  of 
the  ecraseur  I  prefer  a  loose  one,  liable  to 
pull  part  of  both  cords  through  the  loop  of 
the  ecraseur,  or,  at  least,  some  of  the  tissue, 
because  when  the  chain  fits  closely  it  is 
harder  to  cut  off  with,  and  will  bleed  more 
than  an  old,  loose,  half  worn  out  ecraseur 
docs.  Later  I  will  describe  my  string  ecra- 
seur. 

If  you  wish  a  bloodless  operation,  pinch 
one,  or  both  cords  at  once,  with  your  ecras- 
eur chain  one  inch  above  where  you  intend 
to  crush  them  off  at.  Pinch  half  hard 
enough  to  sever  the  cords;  then  loosen  and 
slip  the  chain  one  inch  nearer  to  the  seeds, 
and  crush  off  square  across  the  cords.  As  to  turning  the 
ecraseur  slowly.  I  never  do.  I  cannot  see  any  benefit  by  do- 
ing so  longer  than  five  seconds  on  the  first  pinch;  that  stops 
the  circulation  in  the  blood-vessels    inclosed  in  the  chain. 

—  15  — 


Rupture  or  scrotal  hernia  should  always  be  castrated  by  the 
covered  operation,  two  inches  higher  than  commonly  done, 
with  large  clamps,  put  on  tightly,  and  left  on  to  fall  off 
within  from  five  to  seven  days;  therefore  medicine  on  the 
clamps  is  unnecessary.  Most  all  colts  that  show  a  rupture, 
while  suckling,  will  be  all  right  when  one  year  old.  Umbil- 
ical hernia  is  easily  cured  by  a  strong  wooden  clamp,  put 
on  tightly  while  the  colt  is  held  on  his  back;  no  cutting  is 
necessary,  only  clamp  all  of  the  loose  skin  you  can,  and  the 
end  of  the  umbilical  cord  inside  tightly,  and  let  up;  all  will 
drop  off  in  from   five  to  seven   days,  and  will   be   all   right. 

Ridgling  or  Crvptorchid  Castratio?i.< — When  talking  to 
my  pupils  I  class  as  five  different  kinds.  Number  i  is  in 
the  tunic  and  halfway  down  from  the  inguinal  ring  to  the 
scrotum,  and  is  easily  felt  by  an  expert  castrater  while 
standing.  Number  2,  also,  is  in  the  tunic,  but  is  so  small, 
or  so  high  up,  or  both,  that  they  cannot  be  felt,  as  a  rule. 
Number  3  is  above  the  inguinal  ring  in  the  abdoman. 
Number  4,  the  testicle  is  in  the  abdomen,  yet  the  courage 
ball  (Globus  Minor),  and  some  water  is  down  in  the  tunic, 
as  a  number  one  ridgling  seed,  but  seems  small.  Number 
5  was  once  a  plain  No.  3,  but  is  now  diseased,  and  en- 
larged to  ten  or  twenty  times  its  natural  size  in  {he  abdo- 
men,  with  serum,  pus.  or  both. 

To  castrate  ridgling4"  I  think  it  very  important  to  tie 
them  in  such  away  that  the  operator  will  have  every  advan- 
tage. I  will  here  try  to  explain  my  favorite  method:  As  I 
go  through  and  over  tenor  twelve  States  each  year  in  answer 
to  calls  to  castrate,  1  first  meet  the  owners  of  the  stock,  and 
next  ask  to  see  the  stock.  I  first  put  my  hand  under  and 
feel  the  scrotum,  so  as  to  decide  for  myself,  or  diagnose  each 

—  16  — 


case  regardless  of  what  I  am  told,  for  owners  are  so  often 
liable  to  forget  how  it  is,  and  make  mistakes.  I  then  ask 
"Where  do  yon  wish  the  work  performed?"  If  I  think  the 
-falK-  place  suitable,  I  take  my  ropes  there  and 
get  ready;  otherwise  I  select  a  place,  and  ask 
that  we  ma)-  use  it.  Any  dry  place,  twelve 
by  sixteen  feet,  is  suitable,  and  five  men  as 
assistants  are  enough — a  crowd  is  not  desir- 
able, neither  is  it  best  to  have  assistants 
change  places  as  holders,  as  a  rule.  On  fresh 
plowed  ground  is  a  good  place  when  dry,  but 
in  wet  weather  a  barn  floor  is  the  general 
place.  Then  a  bed  of  straw  or  hay  is  used, 
seven  by  ten  feet,  twenty  inches  deep,  on  which 
spread  several  old  blankets  to  complete. the 
bed  and  hold  the  straw  in  place,  close  to 
which  lead  the  ridgling,  and  half  hitch  the 
halter  strap  or  chin  rope  in  his  mouth;  then  put 
on  your  nose  twitch  tightly,  and  now  place  him 
just  at  the  edge  of  the  bed,  and  he  will  stand 
there  until  you  cast  him.  Now  put  on  the 
ridgling  ropes,  $/%  inch  size,  and  sixty  six 
feet  long,  looped  in  the  center  for  a  collar 
to  fit  the  horse,  and  put  over  his  head  the  old- 
fashioned  way,  then  pass  both  ends  between 
his  legs  and  outward,  cross  the  same  ropes  un- 
der the  first  as  they  go  back  to  the  collar,  on 
each  side,  as  per  cut  No.  7.  Explained  only 
in  my  English  or  second  Edition  No.  3,  4  and 
5,  ridgling  methods  which  I  sell  at  £10  each,  and  do  not 
expect  to  put  in  this  $2  book;  and  hope  before  I  get  through, 

—  17  — 


Ridgling    ll.ix 

rope     <><>    feel 
long  S    size. 


CO 

6 

z 
h 

D 

o 


to  fully  satisfy  all  but  rigdling  castraters.  I  sell  the  second 
Edition  at  $10  to  all  that  want  it  at  that  price.  But  no  or- 
dinary castrator  should  try  to  alter  No.  3,  4,  or  5  ridglings, 
for  he  will  kill  half  of  them.  Experts  should  make  it  a 
specialty,  but  be  willing  to  insure  them  and  pay  for  the 
dead  ones. 

Next  put  on  your  hopples  as  in  cut  No.  7,  to  cast  him 
with.  The  lidgling  ropes  are  only  to  re-tie  with  after  cast- 
ing, yet  can  be  used  some  by  one  man  drawing  on  the  right 
hand  ndgling  rope,  at  the  word  "pull."  The  operator 
should  hold  the  left  ridgling  lope  in  his  left  hand,  and  when 
all  is  ready,  as  per  cut  No  7,  should  say  "pull;"  he  and 
the  head-holder,  at  that  time,  should  push  the  horse  over 
on  the  bed.  Next  the  operator  should  draw  on  the  rope  in 
his  left  hand,  hard,  then  put  it  where  it  comes  around  the 
hind  leg,  down  to  the  ankle,  and  hold  his  left  hand  rope  all 
the  time;  now  withdraw  the  back  rope  out  of  the  two  first 
rings  on  the  back  rope  and  fie^  the  left  hind  foot  from  the 
hopple.  The  two  men  pullers  again  take  that  rope,  still 
holding  tightly  on  the  back  rope  which  is  still  on  all  the 
other  feet,  while  you  adjust  your  big  rope  so  as  to  let  the  left 
hind  foot  back  near  the  stifle.  The  head-holder  should  now 
have  the  chin  up  and  back,  near  point  of  the  horse's  should- 
er; one  man  should  be  holding  ten  pounds  on  the  big  rope 
on  the  under  side  of  the  collar,  out  forward.  Now  put  your 
left  kiu-e  under  the  leit  hind  leg  halfway  from  foot  to  hock, 
and  bear  it  in  to  the  horse,  as  in  cut  8,  about  even  with  the 
stifle;  then  put  your  long  rope  down  on  it  at  the  ankle,  and 
once  around;  then  draw  tightly  to  fit  the  rope  to  the  ankle 
close;  then  take  one-half  hitch.  Now  put  your  rope  over 
the  rump  or  loin,    and    under  the  thigh.      Ask  some  man  to 

—  L9 


draw  twenty-five  pounds  on  that  rope.  While  he  draws, 
you  lift  the  left  hind  foot  with  your  hand  enough  to  tighten, 
like  cut  8,  up  and  between  the  hoeks  and  wrap  around  ankle, 
and  then  take  two  half-hitches  and  ask  some  one  to  hold 
five  pounds  on  that  rope,  which  will  keep  it  from  slipping 
and  getting  too  long.  Now  go  to  the  horse's  lower  feet  and 
remove  the  back  rope  from  the  left  fore  foot  by  slacking  the 
pull  of  the  two  first  pullers  on  the  left  fore  foot.  Now  re- 
tie  that  foot  up  tightly  by  looping  a  knee  rope  in  the  mid- 
dle over  that  ankle,  and  one  end  under  the  leg  and  one  over 
the  arm;  tie  tightly  in  a  bow  knot  near  the  collar  in  No.  8. 
Now  have  the  two  first  pullers  who  still  hold  the  end  of  the 
back  rope  walk  around  behind  the  horse  to  his  back,  and 
pull  hard.  One  man  should  now  lift  on  the  under  fore  leg, 
and,  the  operator  assisting,  all  should  turn  the  horse  over 
slowly,  then  tie  the  right  legs  just  as  you  did  the  left  legs; 
then  turn  him  up  on  his  back  again,  place  the  spreaders  in 


SPREADERS  20  INCHES  IN'SIDE. 

between  the  ankles  as  in  cut  9,  and  tie  them  by  putting  the 
spreader  loops  over  each  hind  foot,  then  tie  around  each  leg 
with  strings  in  the  spreaders.  Please  cast  and  tie  other 
horses  repeatedly  this  way  before  you  tackle  a  ridgling  for 
castration — practice  the  A,  B,  C  of  ridgling  work. 

Your  easiest  ridgling  to  castrate  will  be  the  one  you  tie 
best  and  hold  properly.     To  get  a  good  tie   you    must  first 

—  20  — 


practice  to  get  them  in  proper  position;  also  learn  to  have 
them  held  properly  after  they  are  tied.  The  operator  should 
keep  cool  and  go  slow,  use  no  bad  words,  and  show  no  cru- 
elty to  the  poor  hoise  that  has  not  consented  to  such  treat- 
ment, which  he  will  prove  by  struggling,  unless  your  nose 
twitch  and  half-hitch  on  his  jaw  constrains  him  to  lie  still, 
and  thereby  help  you  to  do  your  work  quicker.  We  will  now 
suppose  your  ridgling  is  properly  tied  and  held  in  position 
by  three  or  more  assistants,  as  in  cut  9,  on  his  right  side, 
with  chin  up  and  back,  and  the  top  ridgling  rope  over  your 
shoulder  as  you  sit  down  flat  on  the  ground,  facing  the  horse 
with  your  legs  over  his  tail;  now  grasp  the  sheath  in  your 
left  hand,  well  forward,  and  make  your  incision  through 
the  skin  four  inches  long,  about  one  inch  above  the  septum, 
or  raphe,  just  where  the  seed  should  be,  if  down  properly. 
Now  with  the  two  front  fingers  like  glove  stretchers,  sepa- 
rate the  tissues  up  the  inguinal  canal,  but  do  not  gouge  into 
the  body  of  the  sheath;  go  up  near  the  skin.  When  your 
hand  is  in  the  inguinal  ring,  six  or  seven  inches  up,  according 
to  the  size  of  the  horse,  your  fingers  should  be  only  one-half 
inch  below  the  black  skin;  now  oil  your  hand  well  with  a 
tablespoonful  of  the  best  carbolized  olive  oil,  and  insert  your 
hand,  with  the  fingers  pointed  together  cone-shaped,  and 
rotate  your  lefc  hand  while  you  push  upward,  about  five 
pounds  weight,  and  slowly  open  the  inguinal  canal.  The 
rotation  of  your  hand  will  cause  the  tissues  to  give  way  in 
the  proper  place,  until  you  reach  the  inguinal  ring,  which  is 
up  about  eight  inches  in  an  eight-hundred- pound  horse,  and 
nine  inches  in  a  thousand- pound  horse,  and  ten  inches  in  a 
twelve-hundred-pound  horse,  and  about  twelve  inches  up  in 
a  fifteen-hundred  pound  horse,  varying  only  a  little  from  this, 

—  21  — 


according  to  the  fatness  of  the  horse.  A  number  one  ridg- 
ling's  seed  will  be  found  in  the  tunic,  five  to  six  inches  up 
the  canal.  A  number  two  ridgling's  seed  is  eight  or  ten 
inches  up,  yet  in  the  tunic.  In  each  case  work  your  finger 
around  the  seed,  tunic  and  all,  and  break  the  adhesion,  and 
gently  draw  it  down  some,  then  split  the  tunic  with  your 
hook  or  knife  one  inch,  and  with  your  two  fingers  tear  the 
tunic  open  until  the  seed  slips  out,  then  put  on  your  ecra- 
seur  and  crush  off  one  inch  above  the  seed  and  Globus  mi- 
nor. Numbers  3  4  and  5  not  explained  in  this  revision, 
are  above  the  inguinal  ring,  floating  in  the  abdomen. 

A  few  times  I  have  been  called  on  to  altar  ahorse  with  one 
large  seed,  after  two  had  been  removed,  and  found  it  a  scir- 
rhus  cord  as  large  as  a  seed.  If  it  had  been  cut  off  three 
inches  higher  it  would  have  been  all  right  then,  and  no 
scirrhus  cords  would  have  appeared  afterward.  I  think  all 
cases  of  hydrocele  (water  seeds)  may  be  avoided  by  cutting 
high,  say  thrte  or  four  inches  above  the  testicles.  I  think 
all  tetanus  may  be  avoided  in  castration  by  using  no  clamps 
or  ligatures  to  be  left  on  over  one  day.  I  think  nearly  every 
death  may  be  prevented  by  proper  exercise  and  medicine  af- 
ter castration.  I  never  saw  a  horse  I  was  afraid  to  castrate 
at  a  reasonable  price,  and  insure  him  to  live  for  ten  per  cent 
on  that  amount  beside  my  regular  fee  for  that  class  in  that 
locality.  Of  course  my  fees  are  much  lower  at  home  than 
a  thousand  miles  away  from  home. 

The  best  treatment  I  know  of  is  to  drench  the  horse 
twenty-four  hours  previous  to  the  castration  with  one  and 
one-half  pnts  of  raw  linseed  oil,  and  soon  as  castrated  give 
him  drachm  doses  of  my  castrating  tincture  every  three 
hours  apart: 

—  23  — 


Tincture  of  anconite  root,  one  ounce 
Fluid  extract  belladona,  one  ounce. 

Quinine,    one-half  ounce,   rubbed   down   in  one-halt 
ounce  of  sulphuric  acid. 

Put  this  all  in  a  pint  of  water  and  give  twelve  doses,  i 
drachm,  or  teaspoonful  back  on  his  tongue,  not  remaining 
up  at  night.  The  horse  should  be  walked  at  least  two 
hours  daily.  Moderate  plowing  all  day  is  the  best  exer- 
cise to  prevent  stiffness.  The  oil  you  use  when  castrating 
ridglings  should  be  pure  olive  oil,  and  to  one  pint  add  one 
ounce  of  carbolic  acid.  Your  hands  should  be  well  washed, 
first  with  anticeptic  solution,  one  to  two-thousandth  parts, 
then  well  oiled  with  this  only;  then  insert  your*hand  and  do 
your  operation. 

Have  the  incisions  on  ridglings  opened  well  up,  four  or 
five  inches  high,  just  before  they  are  walked  morning  and 
evening,  so  as  to  let  all  serum  drop  out,  and  thereby  pre- 
vent all  swelling,  as  it  is  called,  when  in  fact  it  should  be 
called  neglect  to  open  up  the  cuts  five  inches  high  for  five 
days.  Stallions  and  plain  colts  would  do  better  in  retain- 
ing flesh,  and  make  a  better  recovery  if  they  were  opened 
twice  daily  for  five  days  three  inches  high.  My  forte,  if  I 
have  any,  is  with  a  set  of  old  ropes,  casting  and  tying  stock, 
and  trying  to  cut  or  spay  them,  of  which  I  am  now  trying  to 
tell  you  my  favorite  methods.  I  castrate  mules  the  same 
as  I  do  horses,  but  I  never  saw  a  mule  with  a  testicle  in  the 
belly,  except  one  hermaphrodite  that  I  altered.  I  have 
successfully  castrated  nine  or  ten  hermaphrodite  mares, 
finding  several  just  like  number  two  ridglings;  others  were 
as  double  number  three  ridglings,  except  the  mammary 
glands  were  of  the  usual  size  for  mares;  I  never  knew  one 
to  die.      I  have  cut  them  from  four  months  old  up  to  four 

years  old. 

—  24  — 


To  castrate  a  plain  bull  seems  too  common  to  speak  of. 
But  I  prefer  to  cut  off  the  lower  end  of  the  sack  or  bag,  as 
little  as  will  do,  and  squeeze  the  testicle  down  and  out, 
tunic  and  all.  Then  grasp  all  of  one  seed  with  one  hand 
and  push  up  with  the  other,  and  break  the  cord  off  six, 
eight  or  ten  inches  above  the  seed.  I  do  the  other  likewise. 
This  is  the  most  common  method  known.  Yet  some  prefer 
to  leave  the  bag  on,  and  split  into  the  seed  through  the 
tunic  on  each  side.  This  leaves  the  tunic  in  the  bag  to  in- 
flame, which  I  think  is  bad.  I  have  known  a  few  bulls  to 
bleed  to  death  from  castration.  In  such  cases  I  think  a  large 
rubber  ring,  or  even  two,  high  on  the  bag  would  soon  stop 
the  blood,  but  should  be  removed  in  four  hours,  or  sooner. 
I  will  tell  you  better  later  on.  I  have  castrated  quite  a 
number  of  ridgling  bulls,  the  most  of  which  were  double 
number  threes;  all  were  barren.  The  seeds  are  not  attached 
in  a  ridgling  bull  as  in  the  ridgling  horse,  but  are  fast  to 
the  loin.  To  get  them  out,  I  have  always  had  to  cast  the 
bull  and  cut  in  the  side  and  spay  them  the  same  as  a  heifer, 


CUT  NO.  10 

(as  per  cut  of  cow,  standing, )  a  little  forward  of  the  hip 
bone,  and  half  way  down  from  the  back  to  the  belly,  in  the 
left  side.     I  hold  the  flank  from  me  with  the  left  hand,  and 


'■fall 


10 

6 

z 

h 

D 
O 


fc_JSs= 


place  the  hook,  No.  2,  in  knife,  where  I  wish  the  lower  end 
of  the  cut.  Bear  the  hook  in,  and  pull  up  slowly  about  five 
inches,  cutting  only  through  the  skin  and  tissue  to  the  red 
slick  beef.  Now  draw  the  hinder  flap  of  this  cut  back  one 
inch  and  then  puncture  the  flesh  and  peritoneum  with  blade 
4  on  knife.  Then  insert  my  first  fingers  of  both  hands  and 
tear  the  flesh  enough  to  admit  my  left  hand.  Then  oil  it 
with  carbolized  oil  and  insert  it,  and  feel  just  behind  the 
kidney,  and  I  find  the  seed  easily,  unless  I  have  overlooked 
a  No.  2  seed  high  in  the  groin  outside,  and  very  small  To 
remove  it,  or  any  ridgling  bull's  seed,  pull  and  twist.  It 
should  break  off  where  the  cord  is  small,  five  or  six  inches 
long.  The  lip  covers  the  rupture  you  make,  and  the  air  is 
excluded  by  three  or  four  stitches,  only  skin  deep. 

You  can  alter  ridgling  hogs  the  same  way,  nicely  and 
safely,  if  they  weigh  over  two  hundred  pounds,  but  shoats 
of  fifty  pounds  can  be  cut  by  using  only  two  fingers  in  the 
side  like  spaying  shoats;  but  decide  before  you  cut  in  on 
which  the  side  the  seed  is,  by  the  testicle  or  scar  on  the  side 
opposite.  On  the  large  hog  there  is  no  difference  about 
sides,  as  the  whole  hand  is  inserted,  and  either  is  within 
easy  reach  just  behind  the  kidneys. 

To  spay  sows,  I  cut  in  the  same  place.  On  a  sow  of  one 
hundred  pounds  I  cut  on  the  left  side,  one  inch  forward  of 
and  three  inches  below  the  hip  bone.  Just  shave  the  hair 
off  clean,  then  split  through  the  skin  and  fat,  up  and  clown, 
to  the  lean  flesh,  and  pull  the  hind  lip  back,  and  puncture 
to  the  bowels,  but  not  into  them,  back  of  the  cut,  one  inch. 
Then  introduce  just  two  fingers  on  the  left  hand,  ami  bear 
down  in  the  hog  s  side,  and  wipe  back  on  the  loin  with  the 
fingers  to  catch  the  ovary.      Then  remove  it,  and  follow  the 


uterus  down  one  horn  to  the  junction,  bearing  down  all  the 
time,  then  up  the  other  horn  to  the  other  ovary,  and  remove 
it,  and  sew  up  with  two  stitches  skin  deep  only. 

The  way  to  make  hog  spaying  easy  is  to  get  in  practice, 
and  never  forget  to  bear  down  constantly  on  the  cut  with  the 
back  of  your  other  fingers,  which  sinks  your  left  front  fin- 
gers nearer  to  the  ovaries,  and  keeps  the  bowels  in  at  the 
same  time.  The  hog  should  lie  flat  on  the  ground  on  its 
right  side,  with  two  men  holding  each  foot  in  a  hand,  and 
stretching  lengthwise,  with  mouth  open.  This  is  the  pre- 
ferred position  by  experts,  who  spay  thirty  hogs  per  hour 
all  day.  My  dislike  for  hog  music,  which  is  so  abundant  in 
spaying,  has  prevented  my  doing  it  for  pay,  at  the  usual 
price  of  ten  cents  each,  but  I  would  use  a  bench  if  I  spayed 
hogs. 

I  do  like,  however,  the  work  of  spaying  cattle.  Year- 
lings are  the  most  common  ages;  but  all  ages  are  spayed. 
A  spaying  chute  is  the  best  way,  for  then  they  are  held  still 
while  standing;  but  for  general  practice  the  ropes  are  the 
most  available  and  convenient.  Let  us  suppose  we  have  a 
lot  of  fifty  cattle  to  spay  today,  mostly  yearlings,  and  have 
five  men  as  helpers,  and  have  choice  of  a  large  lot  of  one 
acre,  or  a  small  lot  fifteen  feet  by  thirty  feet,  or  a  barn  floor. 
If  the  weather  is  fair,  the  small  lot  will  be  the  best;  if  rainy, 
the  barn  is  preferable — the  acre  lot  is  too  large  for  conven- 
ience in  catching.  Now,  all  ready  in  the  small  lot,  first  run 
a  wagon  near  one  corner  to  crowd  them  behind;  the  catcher 
should  be  a  pluck}'  fellow,  and  catch  the  first  yearling  near 
him  with  his  left  hand  under  the  chin,  and  his  fingers  in  the 
right  side  of  the  mouth,  his  right  hand  on  the  left  horn; 
then  turn  the  calf's  nose  up  and  back  on  the  left  side  tightly, 

—  28  — 


and  hold  it  <-o  one  minute,  when  the  calf  will  fall  over  on  its 
right  side.  Rather  than  have  its  neck  broken  in  this  twist, 
when  the  calf  falls  the  holder  also  should  go  down  on  its 
shoulder  and  still  hold  the  nose  up  and  around  on  its  side. 
Now  put  the  back  rope,  looped,  around  the  right  fore-foot, 
and  a  short  hopple  around  the  right  hind-foot  and  left  fore- 
foot; then  thread  the  back  rope  through  these  three  hopple- 
rings  as  above  named,  and  have  one  man  to  hold  them 
tightly.  First  put  a  knee  rope  upon  the  left  hind  foot,  and 
have  one  man  to  hold  it  down  and  back  tightly.  She  is 
now  in  position.  Now  clip  the  hair  off  where  you  wish  the 
cut,  and  brush  off  cleanly  all  particles  of  dirt  and  hair,  with 
a  brush,  or  little  broom,  and  use  carbolized  oil  on  your 
hand.  Then  make  your  incision  about  four  inches  long, 
through  the  skin  and  tissue,  down  to  the  red  beef,  one  inch 
forward  of  the  hip-bone,  and  about  the  middle  of  the  heifer 
from  the  back  to  the  belly.  I  like  the  hook  No.  2  best  in 
this  operation,  and  use  it  entirely  in  all  my  spaying;  but  if 
you  have  something  better  to  make  the  incision  with,  use 
it;  then  draw  the  hinder  lip  of  the  incision  back  one  inch 
and  a-half,  then  puncture  through  the  flesh  to  the  hollow  but 
not  into  a  bowel;  then  insert  your  two  front  fingers  surely 
through  the  peritoneum;  then  tear  the  beef  by  pulling  up- 
wards with  left  forefinger  and  pushing  down  with  the  thumb 
until  your  left  hand  will  slip  in  easily  when  oiled,  and  feel 
on  each  side  of  the  back-bone  just  behind  the  kidneys  for 
the  ovaries — in  yearlings,  lumps  about  the  size  of  sparrow 
eggs,  in  cows,  four  times  larger — hanging  from  two  to  lour 
inches  below  the  loins  if  standing,  but  when  cast,  may  rest 
against  the  loins.  If  you  do  not  understand  the  anatomy  of- 
the  parts,  go  to  a  slaughter-house  and  examine  them  well 
first. 

—  29  — 


To  remove  the  ovaries,  I  first  find  them  with  my  left 
hand  and  shut  my  hand  on  the  ovary  while  standing  at 
their  backs.     I  then  put  my  long  curved  spaying  scissors, 


SPAYING   SCISSORS 

16  inches  long,  points  wide,  and  smooth  and  round,  and 
push  the  points  downward,  on  my  arm,  to  the  ovary,  for 
perfect  safety.  Tie  your  scissors  handles  so  you  cannot 
open  the  points  over  half  an  inch  back;  then  no  bowel  can 
slip  in  and  get  cut.  as  we  work  in  the  dark,  inside,  while 
I  hold  the  ovary  in  my  left  hand.  Then  in  my  hand  I  open 
points  of  the  scissors,  and  clip  the  ovary  off  while  under  my 
flexed  fingers,  with  no  danger  of  nipping  a  bowel.  I  like 
dull  flesh  scissors;  next  to  the  ecrasure,  to  crush  off  with, 
and  much  more  convenient  internally.     When  both  ovaries 


NEEDLE — SIX  INCHES  LONG 

are  removed,  with  half-inch  of  the  attachments  and  filopean 
tubes,  I  sew  up  the  skin  only  with  this  long  needle,  after 
bathing  the  parts  internally  and  externally  with  the  anti- 
sceptic  solution,  one  part  to  two  thousands,  two  tablets  to 
one  pint  of  water. 

Vaginal  spaying  ot  cows  is  the  preferable  way,  but  it  is 
seldom  that  our  cattle  is  large  enough,  and  it  is  rarely  done. 

—  30  — 


What  little  spaying  I  have  done  on  cows  and  mares  per  va- 
gina has  been  done  with  rude  instruments  of  my  own — 
a  spear  eighteen  inches  long,  with  a  hook  half  an  inch  be- 
hind the  point  to  cut  back  with,  and  surgeons'  curved  scis- 
sors twenty-two  inches  long. 


SPEAR — EIGHTEEN  INCHES  LONG. 

I  first  insert  my  left  hand  in  the  vagina,  then  the  front 
finger  into  the  os  uteri,  and  bear  down  and  forward,  and 
puncture  the  vagina  two  inches  behind  the  os  uteri,  above; 
then  draw  on  the  hook  upon  the  end  of  the  spear  to  split  the 
vagina  about  two  inches.  I  then  remove  the  spear,  and 
with  my  left  hand  enlarge  the  opening,  and  pass  my  hand 
on  in  the  abdomen  and  grasp  the  ovaries,  one  at  a  time, 
and  nip  them  off  with  the  dull  points  of  the  long  curved 
scissors,  cows  and  mares  both  alike.  No  after  treatment  is 
used  but  my  castrating  tincture  to  mares  as  per  ridglings 
later  on. 

To  spay  a  bitch  of  any  size  or  age,  1  want  a  rope  snug 
around  the  neck,  held  straight  out  in  front  of  them,  but  al- 
ways under  the  chin,  now  tie  a  strong  string  three  feet  long 
over  the  nose  and  rope,  one  knot  under  the  chin,  then  up 
behind  the  ears,  and  tie  tightly  on  the  top  of  the  neck,  near 
the  head,  in  a  bow-knot;  then  with  a  string  or  rope,  accord- 
ing to  the  size  of  the  dog,  loop  one  end  above  each  hook. 
Now  hang  the  pup  or  bitch  up  so  that  the  two  hind  teats, 
when  hung  up,  would  be  nearly  as  high  as  your  shoulders 
— about  three  of  four  inches  below.  Next  loop  the  ends  of 
another  string  three  feet  long  around  each  frout  leg.  These 
you  can  slip  up  or  down  on  the  frout  legs  to  suit  you  after- 

—  31  — 


ward.  Now  have  the  collar  rope  fastened  below  on  the 
wall,  on  a  nail  or  ring,  to  hold  the  head  down  not  tight, 
and  one  man  to  attend  the  head  and  keep  the  collar  from 
choking  the  dog,  and  one  man  near  to  hold  the  tail  from 
switching  around.  Now  put  your  left  leg  over  the  string, 
as  in  cut  of  dog,  holding  the  front  legs,  and  adjust  it  to  suit 
you,  as  per  large  or  small  bitch.  With  your  left  leg  back 
a  little,  you  hold  the  dog's  back  away  from  the  wall  and  its 
belly  facing  you  properly.  All  is  now  ready,  with  scissors 
cut  all  long  hair  and  brush  it  away.  Now  make  your  in- 
cision on  the  median  line  from  between  the  two  hind  teats 
down  to  or  a  little  below  the  next  two  teats,  to  the  red 
flesh.  Now  puncture  near  the  middle  of  cut,  to  the  bowels 
only,  then  stick  in  the  forefinger,  then  the  right  forefinger 
and  tear  the  red  flesh  up  and  down;  a  tear  heals  better  than 
a  cut,  look  for  either  horn  of  the  uterus.  In  a  six  weeks' 
old  pup  it  is  not  larger  than  a  large  sewing  thread  ;  in  a  six 
months'  old  pup  it  is  about  one-sixteenth  of  an  inch,  and 
in  an  aged  dog  one-quarter  of  an  inch,  if  she  is  not  in  pup. 
Now,  with  both  forefingers  pointed  together  as  a  pair  of 
foreceps,  and  all  other  fingers  shut,  insert  the  two  forefing- 
ers, and  with  the  back  of  the  closed  fingers  push.  And 
hold  the  bowels  inside,  while  you  are  looking  for  the  uterus, 
which  is  always  near  the  loin  behind  the  bladder,  as  the 
dog  hangs  up,  and  will  soon  turn  red,  if  not  found  at  once 
in  pups,  which  makes  it  easy  to  distinguish  as  a  little  red 
cord.  Then  with  your  forecep  fingers  secure  and  hold  it. 
Then  hold  it  in  left  hand,  and  never  pull  up  more  than  one 
pound  on  a  pup  six  weeks  old,  or  you  are  liable  to  break 
the  uterus  off  at  the  ovary,  but  hold  just  so  you  can  slip  the 
right  fore-finger  down  the  uterus  to  find  the  ovary,  which 

—  33  — 


is  as  small  as  a  grain  of  coffee,  or  even  smaller,  and  fast  to 
the  kidney,  and  in  a  sack,  at  the  lowest  forward  end  of  the 
uterus.  Tear  the  ovary  sack  and  all  loose  and  up  with  the 
right  finger  nail.  Then  the  uterus  is  strong  enough  to  lift 
the  ovary  up  to  the  opening.  Now  put  your  artery  fore- 
ceps  on,  and  pinch  all  attachments  half  an  inch  from  the 
ovary,  and  cut  the  ovary  off  with  small  scissors,  and 
leave  foreceps  on,  holding  all  hemorrhage  shut  off,  until 
you  need  them  on  the  other  ovary,  and  pinch  it  the  same 
way  until  you  clip  the  other  ovary  off  with  your  scissors. 
Be  sure  to  get  it  all,  and  one-half  inch  of  the  uterus  be- 
sides. If  you  do  not  have  clasping  foreceps  wax  a  small 
strong  string,  and  tie  it  for  two  minutes,  tight,  but  remove 
the  waxed  string  and  then  sew  up. 

I  like  to  sew  up  with  the  uninterrupted  suture,  with  that 
six  inch  crooked  needle,  you  can  hold  it  so  well,  and  a 
good  string  in  it;  commence  at  the  lower  end  and  secure 
the  peritoneum  as  well  as  the  skin,  and  adjust  the  stitches 
before  you  fasten  the  top  stitches.  If  the  bitch  is  pregnant, 
I  think  she  can  be  spayed  safely  and  with  less  trouble. 
Instead  of  the  trouble  as  in  finding  uterus  and  pup's,  you 
find,  with  no  delay,  uterus,  pups,  and  all,  and  draw  them 
all  out  and  detach  the  ovary  sacks  with  your  finger  nail 
from  below,  and  a  two  pound  pull  up  on  the  other  hand, 
until  all  are  outside,  and  loose  on  both  sides;  then  ligate 
all  fatt>'  attachments  with  the  vagina,  one  inch  above  the 
mouth  of  the  uturus,  tightly,  and  cut  off  and  take  out  the 
whole  uterus,  pups,  ovaries,  and  attachments.  I  find  they 
do  well  in  recovering.  I  have  lost  two  bitches  by  my  neg- 
lect to  sew  up  tightly  enough,  and  the  bowels  came  out 
the  next  day.     I  think  it  much  better  to  have  them  empty 

—  34  — 


of  food.     Two  days  at  first,  until  you  get  started. 

I  secure  and  spay  cats  the  same  as  pups,  only  they  are 
much  easier  to  spay;  but  it  is  well  to  keep  one  eye  on  their 
claws  while  so  doing. 

I  think  the  antiseptic  solution  is  beneficial  on  all  sur- 
gery at  the  strength  of  one  to  two-thousandth  part,  mostly 
used  upon  your  hands,  but  some  in  and  on  the  wounds. 

I  think  the  stitches  should  be  removed  the  third  day  on 
cats  and  dogs,  if  the  dogs  have  not  already  licked  them  out; 
a  pair  of  small  scissors  is  best  to  cut  stitches  with. 

CALF   SPAYING 

To  spay  calves  two  to  ten  weeks  old,  I  like  to  swing 
them  up  like  the  bitches  are;  and  cut  in  as  high  as  the  ud- 
der, without  cutting  into  it,  then  three  inches  down;  and 
look  behind  the  bladder,  this  is  much  easier  than  spaying 
bitches;  you  have  only  to  try  a  few  times  to  make  it  easy  to 
do.  Remember  their  teats  not  quite  so  high  as  your  shoul- 
der will  be  best,  but  some  calves  are  large  and  their  heads 
and  shoulders  will  rest  on  the  ground.  Sew  up  skin  and 
flesh,  over  and  over,  then  tighten  up  evenly,  your  thread 
from  bottom  to  top.  I  use  flax  thread  six  strands,  but  put 
no  wax  on  it.  Spay  thousands  of  scrub  calves  and  do  your 
country  good.  Ask  your  butcher  when  he  kills  a  calf  to 
let  you  split  your  cut,  and  feel  in  while  he  skins,  one  or 
more;  take  one  inch  of  the  uterus  off  with  the  ovary. 

CAPONIZING  CHICKENS 

The  most  perplexing  castration  I  find  is  the  caponizing 
oi  chickens.  I  have  removed,  as  I  supposed,  two  testicles 
each  from  young  chickens,  and  found  them  when  grown  and 
fat,  each  one  to  have  from  one  to  three  testicles  remaining 
in  him.     These  we  call   slips,   and  they  will  crow  and  have 


red  combs,  but  will  never  sell  as  first-class. 

They  chase  the  hens,  but  do  not  fertilize  the  eggs.  In 
caponizing,  to  avoid  making  some  slips,  it  requires  great 
care,  and  a  fair  chance,  small  birds  of  one  or  two  pounds 
weight,  well  emptied,  a  clear  day,  the  sun  up  high,  and  the 
work  well  done  with  convenient  instruments  through  a  large 
incision  between  the  two  last  ribs  on  the  right  side.  First, 
if  the  chicken  has  had  no  food  for  thirty  hours,  you  will 
have  him  in  condition;  next,  have  a  small  table  two  by  three 
feet,  and  two  large  strings  each  three  feet  long.  Fasten  a 
half  brick  to  one  end  of  each  string.  Now  tie  one  string 
around  his  legs  and  drop  the  brick  over  the  right  end  of  the 
table;  then  the  other  string  tie  around  the  wings,  close  to 
the  back,  and  drop  the  other  brick  over  the  left  end  of  the 
table.  He  is  now  tied,  and  on  his  left  side.  Next  pick  the 
feathers  off  over  the  last  rib  to  the  hip  bone.  Now  wet  the 
feathers  all  around  this  naked  place  with  very  cold  water, 
which  numbs  the  feeling;  the  wet  feathers  will  push  back 
and  stay  out  of  the  way  better.  Now  put  your  forefinger 
on  the  hip  bone  and  across  the  flank  to  the  first  rib.  Then 
stick  your  knife  in  a  half-inch  deep  there,  between  the  first 
two  ribs,  and  cut  down  and  forward  to  the  lower  end  of  the 
ribs,  then  turn  your  knife  and  cut  up  between  these  first 
two  ribs  to  near  the  backbone.  For  small  chickens  use  one 
rubber,  and  large  chickens  use  two  rubbers.  The  rubbers 
pull  the  handles  together. 

Now  put  in  the  spreaders  and  open  the  ribs.  Next  split 
the  diaphragm  which  hides  the  bowels  from  you,  now  turn 
your  table  so  the  sunlight  will  shine  inside  on  the  testicles, 
and  all  will  be  seen  plainly.  Now  take  the  grippers,  and 
with  the  open   ring  up,   slip   under  the  lower  testicle,  and 

—  36  — 


gently  wipe  up  from  under  the  lower  seed  first,  which  will 
draw  it  toward  you  somewhat.  Now  stop  and  open  the 
gripper's  mouth  by  spreading  your  fingers  while  you  hold 
still  as  you  possibly  can,  under  the  seed;  when  the  grippers 


GRIPPERS  SPREADERS 

open,  the  seed  will  drop  below  the  ring  on  the  lower  jaw; 
then  shut  them,  and  now  turn  the  gripper  over  several 
times  to  twist  the  tunic,  then  draw  out  and  try  to  get  all  the 
seed  and  the  tunic  (covering).  The  top  seed  is  much  easier 
to  get,  but  it  is  better  to  leave  it  until  the  last;  use  it  as  a 
guide  to  get  the  lower  seed  first.  Now  replace  the  wet 
feathers  properly  and  let  him  go  without  sewing  up,  as  the 
ribs  close  the  opening.  If  you  have  no  capon  izing  instru- 
ments, split  between  the  ribs  with  any  knife,  and  take  two 
wires  a  foot  long,  bend  a  hook  on  one  end  each  and  have  a 
boy  hold  the  ribs  apart  as  wide  as  you  like  them,  while  you 
work.  Next  have  a  small  ecraseur  of  your  own  make  out 
of  a  goose  quill.     Cut  off  the  lower  point  and  cut  a  hole  in 


QUILL  AND  HORSE-HAIR 

the  side,  get  out  the  pith  and  insert  both  ends  of  a  long 
coarse  horse-hair  from  below,  and  leave  a  loop  at  the  lower 
end  like  the  cut.  Through  the  hole  in  the  side  put  this  loop 
of  hair  over  the  seed,  then  tighten  it  by  lifting  on  both  ends 
the  hair,  and  pull  all  out  while  you  push  down  to  keep  it 
tight,  and  pull  seed,    tunic,   and  all  out  clean,   and  you  will 


have  but  few  slips.  This  will  work  on  small  chickens,  one 
and  a  half  pounds  fellows,  but  cannot  be  used  on  two  or  three 
pounds  young  cockerels.  A  wire  six  inches  long,  crooked 
at  the  end  to  raise  testicles  up  will  be  handy.  Try  a  dead 
one  first. 

MY    MISTAKES  THROUGH   IGNORANCE 

I  was  called  to  spay  twenty  cattle,  and  alter  one  colt  at 
a  certain  town.  I  did  the  work  nicely,  as  I  thought.  The 
seventeenth  subject,  a  two  year  old  heifer,  was  so  hot  that 
I  then  remarked,  "vShe  was  boiling  hot  inside;"  but  I  pro- 
ceeded with  my  work  without  washing  my  hands  or  instru- 
ments, or  using  any  antiseptics,  and  spayed  three  more  and 
altered  the  colt.  Within  a  week  the  heifer  I  mentioned, 
the  three  operated  upon  after,  also  the  colt,  all  died.  I  now 
think  ignorance  on  my  part  cost  the  lives  of  these  three 
well  cattle  and  the  colt. 

Again,  I  was  called  to  altar  five  ridglings  and  one  stal- 
lion at  Dr.  Wm.  Sheppard's,  M.  R.  C.  V.  S.,  of  Ottawa, 
111.  I  was, -while  there,  presented  with  a  fine  gold-headed 
cane  by  twenty  veterinarians.  The  work  was  nicely  done, 
as  all  pronounced  it,  and  so  I  thought.  However,  all  died 
but  one  horse,  and  he  had  a  bad  time  of  it  because  the  first 
one  was  a  double  number  three  ridgling,  and  was  sick.  I 
noticed  it,  and  said  he  was  very  hot  inside,  but  did  not  think 
to  wash  my  hands,  or  know  how  to  use  antiseptics,  which  I 
shall  never  fail  to  do  hereafter.  Still.  I  have  done  hundreds 
not  so  smoothly,  that  seemed  to  do  extra  well.  My  advice 
to  all  surgeons  is  to  use  your  thermometer  per  rectum,  and 
if  the  temperature  is  above  one  hundred  and  one  degrees, 
defer  your  operation  and  give  some  sort  of  physic  and  come 
again.     When  you  do  operate,  have  clean  hands  and  instru- 

—  38  — 


ments,  for  your  own  credit  and  your  patron's  good. 

But  I  now  remember  a  different  result  on  sick  horses. 
At  Hartford,  Ky.,  I  altered  three  ridglings  in  an  old  shed 
in  a  heavy  and  protracted  rain,  five  miles  from  the  railroad. 
When  done,  one  owner  said,  "My  colt  has  the  distemper, 
and  was  a  double  number  three  ridgling,  and  this  weather 
is  so  bad,  I  think  I  will  have  him  insured  at  one  hundred 
dollars."  His  brother  said,  "My  colt  has  the  same  disease, 
and  I  believe  it  will  be  best  to  be  on-the  safe  side,  if  it  does 
cost  ten  dollars  more,"  and  both  took  my  insurance  policy 
for  one  hundred  dollars  each,  and  paid  me  the  extra  money. 
If  the  other  owner  had  been  present  instead  of  the  groom, 
I  think  I  should  have  had  to  make  out,  unwillingly,  another 
policy.  My  circulars  for  the  past  eighteen  years  have  said: 
"I  will  insure  all  ridglings  that  I  get  the  first  cut  on,  for 
ten  per  cent  extra,  upon  the  value  of  the  horse,  the  owners  to 
decide  which  they  prefer  after  they  see  the  work  done." 
At  this  particular  time,  in  the  mud,  rain,  etc.,  I  sort  of  had 
the  blues,  something  I  am  not  subject  to,  and  I  would  have 
preferred  paying  the  ten  per  cent,  not  to  take  the  risk,  as 
these  horses  had  the  distemper,  and  were  obliged  to  go  sev- 
eral miles  in  a  hard  rain  and  deep  mud;  and,  from  general 
appearances,  I  feared  would  have  poor  stables  and  attention 
at  home.  But  my  circulars  in  our  correspondence  made 
the  offer,  and  I  felt  honor  bound  to  make  my  word  good 
without  complaint.  Luckily  for  me,  however,  all  three  did 
well,  and  I  received  a  very  complimentary  letter  in  two 
weeks  saying,  "Our  horses  are  all  well,  and  did  not  appear 
to  mind  the  operation  at  all." 

ANOTHER    MISTAKE 

I  would  like  to  tell  you  how  I  lost  my  handkerchief.     I 
—  39  — 


was  called  to  Terre  Haute,  Ind.,  to  altar  a  number  three 
ridgling.  I  got  him  down  and  tied.  I  then  made  an  in- 
cision through  the  peritoneum.  Just  then  he  struggled, 
and  I  made  the  rupture  much  too  large,  and  the  bowels  came 
down.  I  put  them  back  again  and  again,  and  finally  got 
the  seed  out  and  the  bowels  in.  But  they  would  not  stay, 
so  I  asked  a  boy  to  give  me  my  handkerchief  from  my  over- 
coat on  the  fence.  I  took  it  and  crammed  it  high  up  in  the 
inguinal  canal  and  let  the  horse  up,  and  down  came  the 
bowels  again.  I  caught  them,  and  with  little  difficulty  re- 
placed them  once  more  while  standing,  but  forgot  the  hand- 
kerchief. I  soon  missed  it,  however,  and  supposed  I  now 
had  a  new  and  desperate  case  on  hand,  but  I  had  no  trouble 
while  standing  to  lift  his  hind  foot  and  set  it  on  my  knee, 
and  then  gently  insert  my  hand  to  the  rupture  and  my  fin- 
gers inside,  and  there  found  and  got  the  handkerchief.  That 
colt  worked  every  day  and  did  well,  but  I  did  not  tell  any 
one  for  several  years  of  my  loss.  I  now  tell  you,  so  that 
you  may  be  more  careful;  for  should  such  an  accident  hap- 
pen you,  it  may  be  of  service  to  you  to  know  how  others 
have  done  when  cornered. 

I  have  now  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  pupils  upon 
the  royalty  plan,  for  ten  years'  time,  and  I  tell  them  all 
never  to  be  afraid  of  blood  or  bowels,  for  there  is  a  way  to 
manage  them  with  safety.  You  can  take  up  and  tie  almost 
any  blood-vessel,  or  open  a  horse  and  take  out  and  look  at 
his  bowels  and  safely  put  them  in,  and  have  him  live  and 
do  well. 

There  are  a  number  of  bitches  in  this  town  that  I  have 
spayed,  removing  ovaries,  womb,  pups  and  all,  that  lived 
and  did  well.     There  is  a  dog  here  now  that  never  was  born- 

—  40  — 


and  his  mother  is  here  and  well,  also,  The  pelvis  bones 
would  not  open,  and,  after  one  day  in  labor,  I  opened  the 
belly  and  the  womb  and  took  him  out,  and  in  four  months 
after  spayed  the  mother,  at  the  same  opening,  and  found 
the  womb  grown  in  the  cicatrix. 

I  never  found  the  mare  or  cow  I  could  not  deliver  suc- 
cessfully. 

I  was  called  by  Jack  Pierce,  my  friend,  at  Ridge  Farm, 
111.,  to  altar  three  ridglings,  about  forty  miles  from  here. 
The  first  one  had  been  cut  into,  without  success,  twice  be- 
fore, and  was  healed  up  tightly,  and  was  hard  calloused  in 
the  groin.  This  horse  was  badly  stringhalted  at  that  time 
on  that  side.  By  chance  that  horse  was  cast  first,  and  with 
much  trouble  castrated. 

The  second  was  cast  and  partly  tied,  when  upon  looking 
around  I  saw  the  bowels  of  the  first  one  hanging  out.  I 
asked  some  man  to  hold  them  up  until  the  second  horse  was 
castrated,  so  we  could  have  the  ropes  to  use,  but  the  horse 
was  restless  and  the  man  timid,  and  he  would  let  go.  So 
the  bowels  came  on  down  nearly  to  his  hocks,  and  we  let 
the  half  tied  horse  up,  and  cast  number  one  with  the  four 
hobbles  and  back  rope,  and  soon  replaced  the  bowels.  I 
then  castrated  the  second  and  third  ridgling.  I  then  saw 
the  bowels  hanging  out  again.  We  cast  number  one  the 
third  time,  and  I  took  a  stitch,  as  I  supposed,  around  the 
inguinal  passage  and  left  for  the  train.  When  I  had  gotten 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  away  I  heard  a  call,  and  looking  back, 
knew  by  their  gestures  that  something  was  wrong.  I  re- 
turned at  once  and  found  a  bucket  full  of  bowels  out  and  the 
horse  down  in  the  dogfennel  and  weeds  and  <[uite  sick.  We 
put  the  ropes  on  this  one    the    fourth    time;    next  picked  the 

—  41  — 


dogfennel  off,  oiled  the  bowels.  I  then  slipped  my  hand 
into  the  inguinal  passage  up  to  the  ring;  then  grasped  the 
bowels  and  put  them  back  through  the  rupture  by  lifting 
one  inch  at  a  time,  when  the  horse  was  on  his  side  and  the 
rupture  up.  I  then  split  into  the  inguinal  channel  as  high 
as  I  could  conveniently,  about  halfway  up  to  the  ring,  up 
and  down,  three  inches  long,  so  I  could  then  see  where  to 
put  my  needle,  still  above  my  last  cut,  so  as  to  close  the  su- 
ture around  the  channel  above.  That  horse  made  a  good 
recover}',  but  strange  to  say,  he  was  never  seen  to  show 
stringhalt  afterward  and  soon  sold  for  a  good  price. 

I  forgot  to  speak  of  one  ridgling  I  castrated  in  Kentucky. 
He  had  been  unsuccessfully  operated  upon  repeatedly  on 
both  sides,  and  was  hard  and  Calloused  in  the  groin.  I 
spayed  him  (the  only  one  I  ever  did  that  way)  in  the  right 
side,  as  we  do  cows  in  the  left  side.  He  got  his  pint  and  a 
half  of  linseed  oil  twenty-four  hours  previously,  and  twelve 
of  my  one-drachm  doses  of  castrating  tincture  promptly  af- 
terward, and  the  antiseptics  were  used  freely.  He  did  well 
in  recovering. 

SOMK    OF    MY    MISTAKES    ON    DOGS 

I  spayed  an  eight-month-old  pup,  and  by  mistake  got  one 
ureta,  instead  of  one  horn  of  the  uterus,  and  broke  it  off 
near  the  kidney.  Then,  for  experiment,  I  cut  it  off  near  the 
bladder,  and  then  spayed  her.  She  was  helpless  for  several 
days  after,  and  filied  up,  seemingly  with  water.  She  broke 
at  the  incision  several  times,  and  the  water  ran  out,  but  she 
finally  got  well  in  two  months. 

I  spayed  a  four-weeks-old  pup,  and  made  the  same  mis- 
take, and  it  lived.  But  the  nicest  job  I  ever  did  in  spaying 
was  on  three- month-old  pups.     The  second  one  was  spayed 

—  43  — 


in  five  minutes,  without  one  drop  of  blood.  I  was  proud,  if 
I  must  admit  it,  of  my  skill.  The  owner  was  pleased  that 
the  pup  took  it  so  kindly;  it  made  no  move  while  I  was 
spaying  it,  or  ever  afterward,  but  it  was  not  choked  to  death, 
which  there  is  some  danger  of  doing.  The  same  man  want- 
ed some  pups'  tails  cut  off,  near  Boston,  Mass.  I  put  the  tails 
in  the  ecraseur,  and  pinched  them  off.  That  works  like  a 
charm.     Try  it,  Mr.  V.  S. 

HORSES    TAILS 

I  am  often  called  to  straighten  horses'  tails.  My  prefer- 
ence is  to  cast  the  horse  with  my  four  hobbles  and  back-rope, 
and  use  my  castrating  knife  with  No.  4  blade,  the  small 
blade  on  my  castrating  and  spaying  knife,  as  shown  on 
page  13. 

To  cut  the  upper  cord  or  muscles  in  two,  in  one,  two  or 
three  places,  according  to  how  much  it  crooks,  avoiding  the 
joints.  I  aim  to  cut  so  the  tail  will  go  straight  and  a  little 
over  to  the  other  side,  for  in  healing  it  will  settle  back  a  lit- 
tle. I  put  my  blade  in  half  an  inch  below  the  hair,  side- 
ways, and  bury  all  the  cutting  edge  beyond  the  skin  well; 
then  turn  the  edge  up  and  cut  all  the  top  muscle  in  two  up 
to  the  skin.  Then  turn  the  knife  over  and  cut  down  to  the 
tail  bone  to  make  sure  of  all  the  cord  while  the  muscle  is 
tight.  By  bending  the  tail  from  you,  no  after  treatment  is 
necessary.  I  like  this  better  than  only  to  make  one  cut,  and 
tie  the  tail  around  to  the  opposite  side  for  one  week  or 
longer. 

DEHORNING 

I  never  met  a  farmer  who  knew  nothing  about  dehorn- 
ing but  objected  to  such  cruelty.  I  also  never  knew  one 
who  had  had  twenty  cattle  dehorned  but  was  in  favor  of  it 

—  44  — 


always  afterward.  I  am  most  decidedly.  I  think  it  a  great 
prevention  of  cruelty  to  animals.  The  best  way  is  to  blister 
the  horns  off  of  the  little  calves  with  the  strongest  blister 
you  have.  I  think  any  strong  blister  will  kill  the  horns, 
especially  one  drop  of  the  oil  of  mustard  on  each  horn;  but 
after  the  horn  is  one  inch  long,  here  horn  forceps  are  used 
to  take  them  out  with.  Yearlings  and  all  older  cattle  are 
best  dehorned  with  a  small  bone  saw,  such  as  butchers  use. 
Specialists,  as  dehorners  here,  make  a  frame  to  load  in  a 
wagon  and  haul  around  the  country  and  will  stop  at  the 
barn  door  or  gate  and  dehorn  all  your  cattle  for  ten  cents 
each,  and  they  saw  down  into  the  head  so  as  to  have  a  ring 
(a  quarter  of  an  inch)  of  skin  left  on  each  horn,  which  is 
the  best  way  and  the  right  place.  I  think  in  a  few  years 
more,  in  this  country,  horns  on  cattle  will  not  be  seen  at  all 
for  none  die  from  dehorning  and  the  cost  is  so  slight.  They 
feed,  handle  and  ship  better,  as  well  as  sell  better,  without 
horns.     Try  it  and  be  convinced. 

PRICKS 
In  the  Western  and  Middle  States  the  common  price  for 
ordinary  castration  is  generally  one  dollar  per  head,  in 
small  lots,  but  for  yearling  mules  in  large  droves,  twenty- 
five  cents  each  is  a  common  pi  ice — that  is  for  seventy- five 
or  one  hundred  in  a  place.  In  the  Eastern  States  the  price 
is  generally  double  what  it  is  in  the  Western,  that  is,  where 
there  are  not  so  many  in  a  place  to  alter.  Where  there  is 
but  one  or  two  in  a  place,  the  price  is  five  dollars  each, 
East,  if  well-bred  stock.  Three-fourths  of  them  are  now 
cast  and  clamped;  many  years  ago  standing  was  as  common 
as  casting.  I  think  casting  the  best  way,  and  do  that  en- 
tirely of  late  years,  but  have  altered  nearly  oik-  thousand 

—  45  — 


standing.  I  never  did  but  one  ridgling  standing,  and  will 
never  try  another  that  way.  I  suppose  I  get  better  prices 
than  any  eastrater  ever  did  or  ever  will  again,  as  my  trips 
are  so  lengthy,  but  my  pupils  will  soon  divide  that  practice 
up,  and  none  have  such  long  trips  or  heavy  expenses  to 
reach  their  patrons.  I  castrate  in  the  East  a  few  yearlings, 
in  bunches  at  five  dollars  each;  where  there  are  but  two  or 
three  at  a  place,  ten  dollars  each;  ridglings,  four  or  more  in 
a  place,  twenty  dollars  each;  for  one  only,  more  is  charged, 
according  to  time  taken  and  railroad  expenses. 

Two  years  ago,  W.  L.  Scott,  of  Erie,  Pa.,  wanted  me  to 
alter  five  yearling  colts — all  plain  work.  I  did  them  nicely 
as  I  could,  when  he  asked  me  what  my  charges  were.  I 
told  him  ten  doll  irs  each — he  objected  to  the  price  and  paid 
me  fifteen  dollars  each.  Last  year  I  altered  eleven 
plain  colts  for  him,  and  charged  one  hundred  and  ten  dol- 
lars. He  objected  again,  and  paid  me  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  dollars.  Let  me  further  say,  one  of  his  first  five 
colts  ("Chaos";  won  for  Mr.  Scott,  as  a  two-year  old, 
seventy-five  thousand  dollars  as  a  race  horse — in  five  races. 

While  in  Tennessee,  Nov.  1887,  I  received  a  letter  say- 
ing, "Fanner  Miles,  when  can  you  come  to  Saratoga  and 
alter  four  plain  colts?  J.  B.  D\er."  I  answered.  "I  can 
go  to  Saratoga,  N.  Y.,  and  alter  four  plain  colts  nicely, 
Dec.  10,  for  seveniy-five  dollars,  if  answered  soon,  saying 
come."  In  three  days  I  rectived  a  telegram  saying, 
"Fanner  Miles,  your  seventy  five  dollar  rates  are  satisfac- 
tory. Come  Dec.  10."  I  went  and  got  his  seventy-6ve 
doll  irs.  and  his  thanks,  also. 

Dec.  20,  1888,  I  was  again  called  to  castrate  seven  plain 
cobs  for  J.  B.  Dyer,  and  did  so,  charging  him  one  hundred 

—  47  — 


and  fifty  dollars.  This  you  may  think  a  big  price,  but  Mr. 
Dyer  seemed  satisfied. 

In  June,  1888,  I  was  paid  sixty-five  dollars  to  alter  one 
ridgling  colt  for  Mr.  E.  Thorn,  of  Henderson,  N.  C. 

In  August,  1888,  I  was  paid  seventy-five  dollars  to  alter 
one  double  number  three  ridgling  horse  for  T.  Dudley, 
Topeka.  Kan. 

The  best  I  ever  did  was  to  alter  six  ridglings  and  two 
plain  yearlings  at  Bangor,  Me.,  for  one  hundred  and  sixty 
dollars,  one  afternoon,  all  easy  work,  and  a  pleasant  crowd, 
and  plenty  of  sweet  cider  to  drink.  The  most  I  was  ever 
paid  for  one  operation,  was  eighty-five  dollars,  on  a  rup- 
tured, heavy  stallion,  near  Pittsburg,  Pa. 

The  most  difficult  operation  I  ever  did  on  a  fine  bull, 
was  for  rupture  of  the  scrotum  on  one  side,  in  Chicago. 
One  State  Veterinary  had  tried  to  return  the  bowels  with 
his  hand  in  the  rectum  and  the  bull  on  his  back  one  hour, 
and  failed  to  return  them,  two  weeks  before  I  was  called. 
I  split  the  bag,  tunic,  and  all,  and  found  adhesion  of  the 
bowels  all  around  in  the  tunic,  which  was  very  large  and 
hard.  I  broke  down  the  adhesion  and  then  replaced  them. 
Also  put  the  testicle  on  that  side  in,  rather  than  remove  it, 
and  sewed  all  up,  with  anticeptic,  in  which  Dr.  Withers, 
V.  vS. ,  of  the  Veterinary  College  of  Chicago,  kindly  assisted 
me. 

The  most  surgery  I  ever  did  in  one  day  with  five  helpers 
and  only  one  set  of  ropes,  was  to  spay  two  hundred  and  five 
large  wild  cows  for  J.  \V.  Iliff,  of  Denver,  Col.,  and  I 
climbed  a  small  pole  about  twenty-five  times,  besides,  when 
I  was  tired.  I  presume  you  would  like  to  know  what  pole 
climbing  had  to  do  with  spaying  cattle?     It  saved  my  life 

—  48  — 


many  times.  It  is  very  easy  to  do  when  a  fellow  knows  the 
cow  is  very  mad,  and  comes  at  liim  double  quick,  with  such 
long  horns,  out  on  the  plains,  thirty  miles  from  any  tree  or 
house.  I  sometimes  feel  I  could  climb  two  at  a  time,  or 
any  other  way  to  get  out  of  their  reach.  Each  helper  also 
had  a  pole  planted  near  him,  to  climb  when  necessary.  Mr. 
Iliff  had  fifty-five  thousand  head,  and  all  as  wild  as  Buffa- 
loes. 

The  most  large  horses  I  ever  altered  in  one  day  was 
sixty-six  head  for  Lux  &  Miller,  of  San  Francisco,  Cal.,  on 
a  farm  fourteen  miles  wide  on  an  average,  and  over  fifty 
miles  long.  I  also  spayed  a  few  cattle  for  them,  out  of  their 
eighty  thousand  head,  and  other  stock  in  proportion.  From 
there  I  went  to  Pettaloma,  Col.,  and  offered  to  castrate  the 
"man  eater"  free  of  charge  (it  was  an  imported  Norman 
stallion  seventeen  hands  high,  that  had  killed  several  men) 
but  he  was  kept  as  a  show  then,  and  I  failed  to  get  the  job; 
but  a  month  later  he  was  shot  seven  times  and  killed,  while 
he  had  his  keeper,  Prof.  Tapp,  down  trying  to  kill  him. 

I  felt  proud  as  an  American  to  cast  a  very  vicious  ridg- 
ling  horse  for  Mr.  Case,  in  the  Veterinary  College,  London, 
Fng.,  and  castrated  him  in  good  order,  before  a  large  crowd 
of  veterinarians  there,  who  always  treated  me  as  kindly  as 
if  I  was  a  veterinary  myself,  with  a  large  diploma. 

I  have  castrated  in  the  veterinary  colleges  of  Paris, 
France;  London,  Eng. ;  Glasgow,  Scotland;  Montreal,  Can- 
ada; Boston,  Mass.;  Chicago,  111.-  and  other  cities  too 
numerous  to  mention.  I  have  spayed  cows  for  the  State  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  have  castrated  colts  for  the  Baltimore  & 
Ohio  Railroad  Company,  two  of  the  richest  firms  any  cas- 
trater  ever  worked  for. 

—  49  — 


■ 


I  felt  pleased  to  be  permitted  by  George  Fleming,  F.  M. 
R.  C.  V.  S.,  to  alter  one  of  Queen  Victoria's  Life  Guard 
horses,  free  of  charge,  after  I  said  I  did  not  charge  poor 
widows  anything.  I  now  have  Mr.  Geo.  Flemings  testi- 
monial of  it  and  that  the  horse  was  sound  and  well  the 
twelfth  day,  at  St.  John's  Wood  Barracks,  London,  before 
several  of  England's  best  veterinarians.  He  was  a  black,  bob- 
tailed  number  three  ridgling.  I  did  him  in  good  time  and 
order,  and  did  not  draw  ten  drops  of  blood.  The  horse  was 
sound  and  well  twelve  days  after,  which  proved  that  the 
work  was  well  and  properly  done. 

I  went  to  England  in  September  of  187S,  to  spend  three 
or  four  weeks  only,  and  found  it  so  pleasant  that  I  remained 
there  one  year.  I  have  most  kind  remembrances  of  the 
treatment  I  received  while  in  England  and  Ireland  by 
the  veterinary  surgeons  there,  and  of  their  universal  kind 
treatment  and  hospitality.  Where  I  expected  rivalry  and 
competition,  I  found  all  helps  and  kind  treatment.  I  now 
wear  a  gold  watch — a  timer — presented  to  me  at  Drawhada, 
Ireland,  and  inscribed  thereon  as  follows:  "Presented  to 
Father  Miles  by  Messrs.  Drummond  and  Jones,  Veterinary 
Surgeons,  in  testimony  of  his  ability  as  an  operator  upon 
horses  when  in  Ireland  in  May,  A.  D.  1879." 

I  was  also  presented  with  the  following  upon  parchment, 
which  I  call  my  English  diploma: 

"We,  the  undersigned  veterinary  surgeons,  practicing  in 
the  county  of  Lincoln,  having  witnessed  Mr.  T.  C.  Miles' 
operations  upon  ridgling  horses,  desire  to  bear  witness  to  the 
humane,  scientific  and  perfectly  satisfactory  manner  in 
which  he  attains  his  object.  We  also  wish  to  express  our  ap- 
proval of  his  method  of  casting  and  securing  the  animal,  and 

—  51  — 


of  the  instruments  he  uses  in  the  performance  of  the  oper- 
ation." 

This  was  signed  by  fifteen  of  the  best  veterinarians  in 
Central  England,  and  sent  to  me  most  unexpectedly  as  a 
present  from  rivals  in  castration  after  my  return  home  to 
Illinois,  and  for  which,  both  watch  and  diploma,  I  have 
often  felt  that  it  would  be  a  great  pleasure  to  me  if  I  could 
again  meet  those  gentlemen  and  say,  "Thank  you,  thank 
you,"  several  times  to  each  one  for  the  gratification  and 
pleasure  you  gave  me. 

Some  of  the  pictures  in  this  book  are  of  a  ball  face  horse 
bought  for  $100.00  for  the  purpose  of  operating  upon,  and 
for  giving  some  final  instructions  to  a  class  of  pupils.  He 
was  a  double  No.  3  ridgling.  He  was  first  cast  and  tied  as 
herein  represented,  and  held  upon  the  ground,  while  twenty- 
four  hands  were  inserted  in  my  cuts  up  to  the  bowels,  for 
three  minutes  to  each  pupil,  while  examining  the  parts,  as 
I  progressed  in  his  castration.  Of  course  he  was  as  merci- 
fully treated  as  possible,  and  with  clean  hands,  well  oi'.ed. 
Still  he  was  kept  tied  down  more  than  an  hour.  However, 
he  did  well,  and  I  considered  him  sound  and  well  the 
twelfth  day  after,  with  no  swelling  of  the  sheath,  as  is  com- 
mon in  castration,  and  was  used  daily  while  recovering.  He 
was  not  given  the  pint  and  a  half  of  linseed  oil  previously, 
as  recommended,  but  was  given  the  regular  drachm  doses 
of  the  castrating  tincture  promptly,  and  was  well  opened 
twice  a  day  for  five  days  five  inches  up  in  the  groin  on  each 
side,  and  was  trotted  around  in  our  operating  house  twenty 
minutes  after  each  opening  of  the  cuts,  and  I  now  think  all 
operators  on  ridglings  can  safely  and  well  perform  all  such 
castrations,   if  they  will  strictly  follow  the  contents  of  this 

—  52  — 


little  book.  I  do  not  think  any  man  will  fully  understand 
these  instructions  by  once  reading  them,  but  it  will  be  best 
to  read  them,  short  as  they  are,  until  all  are  familiar;  then 
put  in  practice  all  tying  and  rope  work,  until  all  is  easy  to 
do,  before  the  commencement  of  surgery.  I  feel  sure  you 
will  never  regret  the  time  lost  in  so  doing.  There  is  money 
in  it,  and  more  sport  and  pleasure  in  it  than  gunning  where 
the  game  is  plenty.  My  pupils  all  declare  there  is  nothing 
called  business  so  pleasant  as  to  meet  a  crowd  of  gentlemen 
with  four  or  five  ridglings  to  alter,  and  be  able  to  nicely 
cast,  and  tie,  and  castrate  them  in  one  hour,  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  all  present,  and  then  be  paid  one  hundred  dollars 
cash  in  hand,  and  complimented  for  their  success.  I  have 
experienced  this  sensation  many  times  in  life,  and  I  also 
testify  that  it  is  pleasant.  Try  it  a  few  times.  I  think  you 
would  like  it  more  and  more. 

Believing  I  have  given  all  the  necessary  information 
upon  this  subject,  I  wish,  before  closing,  to  say  to  all  read- 
ers of  this  little  book,  as  I  generally  say  to  the  crowds  of 
spectators  that  collect  at  the  various  places  where  I  am 
called  to  operate,  and  to  those  who  help  me  in  my  work, 
that  surgery,  whether  upon  man  or  beast,  should  always 
be  humane.  We  should  always  remember  that  a  horse  is 
one  of  man's  nearest  and  best  friends  and  helpmates  below 
his  own  race;  that  God  has  given  him  to  serve  and  obey;  to 
be  patient  and  kind  to  man.  In  return  we  should  remember 
that  in  sickness  and  health  we  should  care  for  this  animal 
with  a  kindly  heart  and  the  greatest  sympathy.  While  he 
trusts  man  we  hope  that  man  will  not  betray  the  confidence 
the  noble  brute  places  in  him,  and  in  all  kinds  of  surgical 
operations  it  has  been  one  of  my  highest  aims  and  ambitions 

—  53  — 


to  do  the  work  skillfully,  and  to  cause  as  little  pain  as  is 
possible  with  success.  We  must  remember  that  the  poor 
creature  is  bound  and  held  at  our  mercy;  that  he  too,  has 
nerves,  suffers  pain  and  is  entitled  to  all  human  kindness; 
and  I  believe  there  is  no  greater  crime  in  the  annals  of  in- 
humanity than  the  torture  or  recklessness  which  may  pro- 
duce pain  and  suffering  in  this  noble  animal.  And  I  do 
hope  and  trust  that  all  who  may  try  to  follow  my  footsteps 
in  the  surgical  part  of  this  work  will  also  keep  ever  in  mind 
that  pain  is  severe;  that  animals  suffer  but  can  not  speak  or 
even  cry  to  tell  us  of  their  pain  and  sorrow.  Never  keep  an 
animal  fettered  or  bound  a  moment  longer  than  is  necessary. 
Never  produce  pain  that  can  be  avoided.  In  other  words, 
always  follow  the  golden  rule  in  your  dealings  with  your 
best  friend  in  the  animal  kingdom. 

Finally,  good-bye.  God  bless  you  all.  Live  right  and 
easy,  and  let  us  all  try  to  meet  in  heaven.  I  believe  in  God 
the  Father,  God  the  Son  and  God  the  Spirit,  three  in  one. 
I  believe  as  old  Paul  said  to  the  Athenians,  the  time  of  this 
ignorance  God  winked  at,  but  now  commands  all  men  every- 
where to  repent.  I  think  good  works  are  good  fruits  for 
believers  to  bear;  but  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  only  Savior 
of  sinners,  and  that  on  the  conditions  that  we  trust  Him  and 
try  to  obey  Him. 

Yours  truly, 

FARMER  T.  C.  MILES. 
Charleston,  Illinois,  U.  S.  A. 


APPENDIX 

....TO.... 

ANIMAL  CASTRATION  AND   SPAYING 

AS   PRACTICED  BY  FARMER   MILES 


FARMER    MILES'    THEORY    ON    CATTLE   SPAYING 

That  scrub  cattle  are  more  costly  per  pound  for  either 
milk  or  beef  to  farmers  than  well  bred  cattle.  And  that 
twelve  years  of  annual  castration  of  all  males  not  needed, 
as  best  for  bulls,  and  twelve  years  of  annual  spaying  of 
cows,  calves  and  heifers  often  per  cent  of  all  female  cattle, 
selecting  each  year  to  spay  only  the  most  inferior  of  their 
classes;  Jersey's,  Guernsey's,  Holstein's  (for  milk);  Short- 
horn's, Poled  Angus  and  Hereford's  (for  beef)  would  soon 
work  wonders  in  improvement  and  pay  well  from  start  to 
finish.  Any  man,  country  or  state  can  do  it  safely  and 
profitably,  if  they  try.  "Then"  why  has  it  not  been  do?ie 
before?  I  think  I  can  tell  the  whole  story  from  personal 
observation  in  twenty  to  thirty  years  ago.  I  spayed  cattle 
in  different  countries,  in  several  states,  and  spayed  cattle 
became  veiy  much  sought  after,  and  I  was  kept  busy  as  I 
was  in  good  practice,  and  did  good  work,  for  several  years 
in  connection  with  my  specialty  on  ridgling  horse  castration, 


but  in  later  years  when  called  to  the  same  places  to  alter 
ridglings  I  was  asked  repeatedly,  "Why  spayed  heifers 
bulled  badly  now  a  days?"  I  answered,  "Spayed  heifers 
never  bull." 

These  stock  men  claimed  that  so  many  heifers  bulled 
and  kept  the  herds  excited  that  they  would  not  dare  to 
handle  them  any  more  as  stockers  or  feeders. 

I  had  charged  fifty  cents  each  to  spay,  and  could  spay 
ten  or  twelve  an  hour.  Men  and  boys  helping  me  to  cast 
and  hold  them  saw  all  outside  work  and  took  up  the  trade 
at  twenty-five  cents  each,  and  spoiled  it  by  only  half  spay- 
ing some  and  getting  out  a  lump  that  is  not  an  ovary  by 
mistake.  I  offer  to  pay  the  worth  of  any  cow  or  calf  I  spay 
that  bulls  afterward,  and  can  teach  my  methods  plainly  to 
others  now  in  this  book  to  safely  spay  cattle.  Calves  and 
yearlings  are  the  best  age,  but  old  cows  also  are  safely 
spayed.  I  have  spayed  many  cows  forward  in  calf,  which 
is  not  advised,  it  is  not  so  safely  done  then.  I  have  spayed 
hundreds  of  milch  cows.  The  rule  is,  they  give  much  more 
milk  and  in  three  or  four  years,  gradually  get  very  fat, 
while  milking  well.  If  I  was  a  dairyman  I  would  spay  all 
my  dairy  cows.  As  a  rule,  spayed  dairy  cows  milk  well, 
for  three  or  four  years,  and  if  well  fed,  can  be  kept  up  to  a 
full  flow  in  winter,  when  milk  is  scarce.  But  the  point  in 
a  spayed  dairy  cow  is  that  her  stomach  is  like  the  hopper 
of  a  good  mill  grinding;  it  mubt  make  good  goods  of  all 
that  goes  through  it,  either  milk  or  high-priced  beef,  or 
both,  while  the  open  cow  wastes  part  of  her  time  and  feed 
wanting  a  bull  every  twenty-one  days;  and,  after  that  time, 
much  of  her  feed  goes  to  build  up  a  worthless  calf,  which 
lowers  her  amount  of  milk,   and   if  sold  for  beef,  lowers 

—  58  — 


her  quality  and  price  for  beef.  Generally;  two  fat  spayed 
milch  cows,  in  the  Spring,  will  sell  for  more  than  three 
fresh  cows  cost. 

In  prices  of  beef,  per  pound,  old  bulls  are  the  lowest, 
old  cows  the  next;  good  fat  steers  better,  but  nice,  fat 
spayed  heifers,  of  same  age  of  steers,  are  the  best.  But 
young  spayed  cows,  milked  three  or  four  years,  and  fed 
well  all  the  time,  pay  well  all  the  time  and  get  very  fat, 
and  when  dried  up  and  stuffed  two  months  sell  on  a  spring 
market  up  with  large  fat  steers  at  any  time.  I  was  paid 
$40.00  by  a  committee  of  Veterinary  Surgeons,  for  the  state 
of  Pennsylvania,  to  spay  eight  nice  milch  cows  at  Steelton, 
Pa.,  in  full  flow  of  milk,  to  test  its  effects  on  the  cows  and 
on  the  quality  of  the  milk.  I  met  one  of  the  gentlemen  a 
year  later  and  asked  him  what  they  thought  of  it  now,  he 
said  they  were  much  pleased  and  would  want  more  spayed. 

I  know  abortions  of  dairy  cows,  so  much  dreaded  by 
large  dairymen,  can  be  prevented  entirely  by  spaying  and 
not  lose  more,  or  so  many,  as  in  giving  birth. 

I  see  three  kinds  of  factories  to  make  our  beef  of,  grass; 
and  three  kinds  of  mills  to  make  our  flour  of,  our  wheat; 
the  bulls  and  breeding  cows'  stomachs  are  like  our  old  mills 
were  fifty  years  ago,  a  poor  article  at  best,  the  castrated 
steer  well  fed  makes  much  better  beef;  the  heifer,  spayed 
when  young,  and  well  fatted,  the  best  of  all.  The  bull 
frets  and  slobbers  over  his  feed  and  wastes  some  feed;  the 
breeding  cow  takes  much  of  her  feed  to  make  a  calf;  the 
steer  is  more  quite  and  makes  a  better  article;  the  spayed 
heifer  is  still  more  quiet  and  feeds  better  yet,  and  makes  the 
most  and  best  beef  out  of  a  bushel  of  feed,  and  if  at  the 
same  age,  will  sell  in  market  quicker  than  the  steer,   for  as 

—  59  — 


much,  or  more  per  pound,  she  may  not  grow  quite  so  large 
as  the  steer,  but  she  will  gain  more  and  net  better  on  a 
given  amount  of  good  food  and  pay  a  better  per  cent  on 
what  she  consumes. 

I  have  driven  fat  cattle,  when  a  boy,  from  Lexington, 
Ky.,  to  New  York  City.  I  have  driven  fat  cows  and  bar- 
ren heifers,  all  short  horns,  to  Cincinnati  for  Christmas 
beef  that  netted  1,112  pounds,  after  being  killed  forty-eight 
hours. 

I  suppose  you  know  that  heifers  twins  with  a  bull  calf 
are  always  barren,  as  though  spayed. 

The  shrewdest  cattle  man  I  ever  knew,  I  think,  was  J. 
W.  Iliff,  of  Denver,  Col.,  for  whom  I  spayed  1,407  cows, 
calves  and  heifers,  every  old  cow,  every  very  ill  shaped  cow 
and  all  black  ones.  I  think  I  spayed  more  than  100  cows 
for  him  over  fifteen  years  old,  and  pulled  out  all  front  teeth, 
if  there  was  any  teeth,  he  said  they  could  eat  better  with 
their  gums  alone  than  with  two  or  three  old  snags.  His 
idea  was  to  stop  their  breeding  long  enough  to  get  fat  and 
sell  them,  and  buy  two  two-year-olds  with  the  money  the}' 
brought  him,  on  each  old  cow.  Spayed  cows  milk  continu- 
ously for  several  years,  and  in  winter  as  well  as  summer, 
and  pay  better  than  to  let  the  cow  bull  or  fret  for  a  bull 
every  twenty-one  days,  and  when  bred,  to  stop  that  loss  by 
fretting,  then  the  expense  of  building  up  a  worthless  calf 
commences.  No  dairyman  wants  a  calf,  but  milk.  No 
feeder  wants  a  calf,  but  beef.  A  fat  spayed  heifer's  beef 
sells  highest  per  pound,  a  fat  breeding  cow  much  lower  per 
pound. 

Or  in  other  words  $20  worth  of  good  feed  fed  the  spayed 
heifer,  or  spayed  cow,   will  pay  the  owner  a  much    better 

—  60  — 


profit  than  the  pregnant  cow  or  the  bulling  cow  can  pay, 
and  spaying  the  inferior  cows  the  crop  of  calves  will  be 
better  each  year,  we  all  know. 

You  may  say  Farmer  Miles  is  a  crank  on  spaying,  but 
that  does  not  disprove  his  theory.  He  has  spayed  from 
Bangor,  Maine,  east,  to  Southern  California,  and  all  through 
the  states,  and  as  high  as  1,407  at  one  place,  has  spayed  for 
men  and  firms  worth  millions,  has  spayed  in  England,  Ire- 
land and  Scotland,  of  all  ages  and  kinds.  J.  D.  Gillett,  of 
Elkhart,  Ills.,  had  me  spay  300  thoroughbred  short-horn 
yearlings  one  year,  and  the  next  year  500  of  the  same  kind. 
I  thought  that  a  great  pity,  but  he  said  spay,  and  I  try  to 
do  as  requested. 

I  feel  certain  thrtt  no  man  ever  saw  800  finer  beeves 
than  they  made,  bred,  raised  and  fed  by  one  man,  on  one 
farm  of  18,000  acres,  in  Central  Illinois.  Why  cannot  such 
stock  be  raised,  just  as  well  as  scrubs,  by  spaying  up  to  it 
in  a  few  years  time,  and  live  on  the  fat  scrubs  for  beef,  un- 
til the  scrubs  are  all  consumed,  and  this  land  as  cattle 
breeders  be  known  as  the  wonder  of  the  world.  All  make 
both  more  milk  and  more  money  by  judicious  spaying. 

MISCELLANEOUS    TALK    TO    STALLION    OWNERS 

I  was  passing  near  Waterville,  Maine,  in  a  buggy 
several  years  ago,  with  Dr.  Wm.  Fairbanks,  V.  S.,  of 
Augusta,  Me.,  when  a  voice  was  heard,  " Hello  there/"  I 
looked  out  and  a  man  asked  "is  Farmer  Miles  there?"  I 
said  yes  sir.  He  replied,  "drive  in,  I  want  to  see  you." 
We  were  now  at  C.  H.  Nelson's  Steed  Farm.  Mr.  Nelson 
said  to  four  men  "Boys,  hook  up  Nelson,  I  want  the  great- 
est castrater  in  the  world  to  drive  the  greatest  trotting  stal- 
lion in  the  world."     Saying  tome  "Farmer  Miles,  Nelson's 

—  61  — 


record  as  a  stallion  is  2:0934,  and  I  was  offered  $100,000.00 
for  him  lately,  but  won't  sell  him.  You  get  in  that  buggy 
and  go  where  you  please,  but  don't  you  let  any  one  pass 
you." 

I  drove  Nelson  about  two  miles  and  returned,  feeling 
I  had  lots  in  my  care  just  then. 

I  was  also  told  that  Nelson  was  booked  to  be  bred  to 
thirty  mares  that  season,  at  $750.00  per  mare.  In  my  ab- 
sence the  twenty- second  mare  arrived  at  the  stud  to  be  bred. 
The  four  grooms  soon  had  the  harness  off,  Nelson  rubbed 
dry  and  slicked  up  in  good  order.  In  that  time  the  mare 
was  tried  by  another  of  Mr.  Nelson's  four  or  five  stallions, 
and  found  to  be  ready  to  be  bred.  She  was  then  tied  firmly 
by  the  halter  in  a  triangular  stall  that  was  well  padded 
on  three  sides,  then,  after  a  good  set  of  hobbles  was  placed 
on  her,  to  prexent  kicking,  Mr.  Nelson  ordered  the  groom 
to  bring  Nelson  to  the  breeding  room.  I  stood  by  with  Dr. 
Fairbanks  and  saw  the  performance,  after  which  Mr.  Nel- 
son said  to  me  "Farmer  Miles  did  you  see  what  I  did?"  I 
answered,  yes  sir,  I  did.  He  asked  me  what  I  thought  of 
it.  I  said  I  never  saw  any  thing  like  that  before,  I  would 
thank  you  for  a  reason  for  all  your  trouble. 

THE    MODUS    OPERANDI 

When  the  Stallion  leaped  on  the  mare's  hips  a  groom  on 
the  off  side  caught  her  tail  and  pulled  it  out  of  the  way,  to 
the  right  side,  while  the  first  groom  held  the  mare  by  the 
bridle,  forward.  Mr.  Nelson  grasped  the  penis  from  above 
with  his  right  hand,  about  seven  or  eight  inches  irom  the 
end,  not  closing  his  fingers  all  around  or  under  the  penis, 
but  let  the  horse  use  about  one-third  of  his  penis  only. 

Mr.  Nelson  then  said,  "Farmer,  you  see  that  Nelson  has 
—  62  — 


a  long  rod,  and  for  years  was  not  a  sure  foal  getter,  but 
since  I  have  adopted  this  rule  eighty-five  per  cent  of  all  the 
mares  he  serves,  have  colts." 

I  believe  Mr.  Nelson's  theory  is  correct.  I  have  re- 
peated this  (Nelson  )  practice  to  several  large  breeders  since, 
that  told  me.  "I  now  know  why  one  of  my  best  horses  was 
a  failure  as  a  breeder,  he  was  almost  barren,  also  saying  he 
had  the  longest  rod  on  him  you  ever  saw."  Again  I  person- 
ally knew  of  several  mares,  bred  year  after  year  called  bar- 
ren, but,  when  let  run  with  a  young  stallion  colt  out  in  the 
pasture,  that  bred  without  trouble.  That  I  believe  would 
always  have  remained  barren  if  hampered  and  hobbled  and 
helping  the  horse  to  pass  beyond  the  proper  limit.  That,  a 
mare  can  prevent  when  loose  in  the  pasture,  by  stepping 
forward. 

I  have  owned  ten  or  twelve  stallions  and  seven  or  eight 
jacks  and  several  times,  ju^t  as  the  stallion  was  getting  off, 
it  looked  as  though  all  of  the  semen  was  spilt  on  the 
ground.  I  said  to  the  groom,  write  on  the  stud  book  for 
that  mare,  that  all  spilt  out,  and  let  us  see  the  results. 
Each  mare  stood  from  the  spilt  covers,  to  my  surprise. 

I  now  remember  that  the  jacks  had  all  advantage  of  the 
mare  in  the  stocks,  and  universally  a  long  root,  and  went 
too  far  and  did  not  prove  sure  as  stallions  do.  I  think  that 
was  the  cause  of  failure.  I  feel  certain  that  mares  will  all 
step  forward,  when  loose  in  the  lot,  when  the  horse  or  jack 
on  them  hurts  them  by  going  in  too  far;  a  violation  of  ani- 
mal nature  and  costly  to  the  owners. 

Western  and  Texas  Cavelry  yard  studs  are  good  herders, 
they  keep  their  bands  together  on  their  own  range  near 
water;  owners  know  where  to  find  them,  but  he  may  be  the 

—  63  — 


worst  scrub  in  the  lot.  The  owner  wishing  to  breed  to  a 
better  and  larger  horse  sometimes  lassoes  that  little  scrub 
stud  and  split  his  sheath,  three  or  four  inches  long,  back 
between  his  testicles  and  push  his  penis  back,  and  put  the 
end  through  this  cut,  downwards,  so  he  cannot  draw  the 
end  back  into  the  sheath  proper. 

Then  when  a  mare  comes  in  season  he  will  mount  her 
frequently,  but  his  penis  points  downward  and  he  cannot 
serve  her.  While  so  doing  the  owner  or  herdsman  out  on 
the  ranch  can  see  what  is  needed;  will  drive  the  whole 
band  of  horses  into  a  yard  and  separate  that  mare  in  a  pound 
to  herself  and  then  turn  his  better  stallion  in  with  her,  and 
after  service  let  her  go,  &c,  &c,  &c,  until  the  good  stallion 
has  served  them  all;  in  the  breeding  season,  then  lasso  the 
scrub  and  replace  his  penis  until  spring  again. 

I  am  told  one  of  the  little  scrubs  will  whip  and  drive 
clear  away  any  large  well  bred  stallion.  I  was  also  told 
that  strange  mares,  lotted  one  night  with  the  little  scrub 
are  so  subjugated  and  instructed  in  the  law  of  wild  horses 
that  she  dare  not  desert  his  band,  under  penalty  of  being 
severely  whipped  by  him,  as  the  king.  In  this  way  cheap 
horses  are  raised  on  the  range,  south  and  west,  at  almost  no 
expense,  but  are  also  almost  worthless,  except  as  herding 
ponies;  are  born  wild,  live  wild,  die  wild  and  are  danger- 
ous to  handle*  are  not  worth  the  cheap  grass  they  eat.  If 
Congress  did  not  have  its  hands  full  now,  I  think  war 
should  be  declared  against  all  such  scrub  ranch  ponies  and 
the  wolves  and  coyotes,  of  our  western  grazing  lands,  by 
killing  the  meanest  ponies  first,  and  sprinkle  strychnine 
on  the  flesh  and  call  the  wolves  all  up  to  dine  and  die,  and 
so  on,   until  such  destruction  would  stop  for  want  of  ma- 

—  (,4  — 


terial  to  destroy,  and  let  lambs  and  wool  grow  on  the  grass 
now  wasted  to  feed  worthless  scrub  ponies. 

DOGS 

Why  castrate  and  spay  dogs,  as  a  rule,  and  breed  the 
best;  but  cut  and  spay  the  scrubs? 

ist.  Because  they  kill  sheep  and  chickens,  and  some- 
times people. 

2d.  Because  they  are  frequently  a  nasty,  noisy,  nuis- 
ance. 

3d.  Because  that  would  improve  the  breeds  greatly; 
rid  the  country  of  scrubs  and  cur  dogs  and  diminish  hydro- 
phobia. 

4th.     Because  it  would  diminish  the  dog  tax  greatly. 

Then  how  would  we  get  dogs  after  the  old  cut  ones  die? 

As  water  seeks  its  level  so  would  demand  be  supplied, 
and  that  of  pure  breeds  in  due  time,  and  profitably.  If  dogs 
became  scarce,  dog  farms,  as  now  exist  in  Maine,  would 
start  up,  with  such  breeds  as  demands  called  for,  only. 

I  don't  know,  but  the  state  legislatures  would  know  how 
to  charge  a  large  license  on  breeders;  nothing  on  cut  and 
spayed  ones,  or  pups  under  three  months  old.  The  breed- 
ers would  all  spay  or  castrate  pups  then.,  before  sale,  with 
but  little  trouble.  Like  farmers  formerly  did  cut  and  spay 
all  pigs  for  pork  fifty  years  ago,  and  just  as  easy,  when  they 
know  how  to  do  it. 

Who  would  go  to  all  that  trouble? 

I  think  plenty  of  men  would  make  a  business  of  it.  As 
soon  as  the  law  said:  Cut  and  spay,  or  kill  all  dogs,  or  pay 
a  breeder' 's  license,  men,  I  think,  wanting  work,  would  cut 
dogs  for  twenty-five  cents  or  spay  bitches  for  fifty  cents, 
and  would  be  glad  to  look  after  all    such    jobs   and    would 

—  65  — 


report  delinquents  liable  for  breeder's  fees,  until  not  one 
was  left  but  breeding  dogs  and  bitches,  and  cut  ones.  The 
breeders  to  be  kept  in  at  home  as  stock  are. 

Who  would  this  benefit?  I  think,  any  town,  count}'  or 
state.  "How?"  Like  anything  first-class  is  better  than 
second-class. 

Shepherd  dogs  in  Scotland  are  first-class  and  instinc- 
tively take  to  helping  with  stock.  A  well-bred  rat  terrier 
will  work  at  his  calling  when  other  dogs  sleep,  and  so  on. 
All  kinds  are  needed,  but  demand  for  cut  or  spayed  pups 
of  the  various  breeds  will  regulate  itself;  fox  hounds  will 
be  bought  for  their  work  as  pointers  for  birds,  but  all  well- 
bred  and  naturally  true  to  their  trades. 

What  are  the  dogs  you  speak  of  worth? 

I  have  heard  of  sales  from  $10.00  up  to  $500.00,  but 
have  seen  many  that  $50.00  would  not  buy;  should  sell  as 
high  as  cattle  do,  if  bred  to  perfection  in  their  breed. 

What  would  a  man  take  for  a  spayed  bitch  that  his 
children  loved,  that  would  plainly  tell  him  of  a  thief  in  his 
house  at  night,  and  that  you  could  depend  on  to  bark  if  the 
house  was  on  fire,  or  would  swim  in  the  water  and  save 
your  child?  Many  well-bred  dogs  do  such  things,  but  if 
not  castrated  or  spayed  they  are  naturally  too  nasty. 

"How"  does  castration  change  their  nature?  If  done 
when  young  it  stops  the  growth  of  sexual  organs,  and  of 
their  licking  them  to  keep  clean.  It  stops  the  male  dog 
also  from  sprinkling  articles  of  food  and  clothing  when  he 
smells  that  some  other  dog  has  sprinkled  there  before  him. 

Wm.  Whitely,  of  London,  said  to  have  the  largest  store 
in  the  world,  had  hitch  racks  for  dogs  near  each  door,  with 
plain  posters  saying:    "Dogs  not  admitted."     For  he  knew 

—  66  — 


these  nasty  sprinklers  would  damage  much  goods  by  stains 
in  his  store.  But  worse  still:  A  gentleman  in  London  told 
me  he  saw  a  nice  looking  lady  leading  a  pet  poodle  on  a 
main  street,  five  or  six  squares  from  her  home;  she  stopped 
a  moment  to  look  in  a  show  window;  when  she  started  to 
walk  on,  her  little  Dolly  could  not  lead — a  larger  dog  was 
trying  to  pull  the  other  way,  and  you  can  imagine  her  mor- 
tification in  a  crowded  street.  Probably  $100.00  would  not 
have  been  thought  of  as  the  worth  of  Dolly.  To  let  go 
was  to  loose  Dolly  and  a  $20.00  chain  and  collar,  besides, 
when  fifty  cents  spaying  would  have  saved  all  this  shame 
and  made  Dolly  a  canine  lady  pet,  for  ladies  and  little  child- 
ren to  play  with  on  all  occasions. 

I  practice  what  I  preach.  My  dogs  for  the  past  twenty 
years  have  been  spayed  bitches,  are  clean  and  nice,  never 
go  off,  don't  smell  doggy,  don't  want  to  play  with  common 
dogs,  would  prefer  children's  company.  There  are  more 
spayed  bitches  in  this  county  than  in  any  five  counties  in 
the  state.  Try  it  and  you  will  keep  no  others  hereafter, 
unless  you  should  get  part  of  your  farm  fenced  with  high 
woven  wire,  and  try  to  raise  about  five  hundred  pups  a  year 
of  the  royal  stock  with  long  pedigress.  I  have  heard  that 
a  box  of  monkeys  was  a  funny  lot,  but  I  think  fifty  two- 
months-old  pups,  in  a  pound,  would  be  more  interesting  to 
me,  especially  if  some  gifted  trainer  had  them  broke  to 
work  in  their  line,  as  trainers  break  colts  to  do,  or  go  in 
their  line  of  pacing,  racing  or  to  light  harness.  I  mean  the 
best,  first,  last  and  all  the  time.  The  world  buys  our  horses 
and  cattle  why  not  induce  them  to  buy  our  dogs.  All 
Englishmen  like  dogs,  even  Queen  Victoria  raises  dogs  and 
feeds   them    well;    as  regularly   as   we   feed    horses.       The 

—  67  — 


Queen's  kennel  is  noted  abroad  for  fine  dogs. 

Again,  dogs  and  bitches,  castrated,  do  not  have  an  appe- 
tite for  sexuality,  therefore  do  not  complain  for  dog  com- 
pany and  howl  and  bark  as  those  with  the  old  nature,  and 
get  in  some  kind  of  mischief  in  the  night  when  people  want 
to  sleep.  Again,  worthless  dogs  are  worthless,  why  allow 
them  to  accumulate?  They  are  like  weeds  in  the  garden; 
consumers  of  what  vegetables  need  and  not  liked  or  used  by 
anybody,  but  liable  to  spread  hydrophia  and  kill  you  or 
your  stock. 

Lastly.  I  have  seen  blood  hounds  used  to  track  up 
thieves,  and  believe  that  each  county  sheriff  should  keep 
two  or  three  well-bred  blood  hounds  that  would  follow  up 
any  robber  or  thief  from  your  house,  and  land  him  where 
his  steps  stop,  and  there  find  both  goods  and  robber  and 
stop  much  out-lawry,  in  fear  of  the  sheriff's  dogs. 

FOR    PASTIME 

If  you  do  not  object  to  reading  of  some  of  my  travels 
and  trials.  I  will  try  to  tell  you  a  true  account  of  my  first 
trip  to  England  as  a  farmer  and  citizen  of  Illinois: 

I  got  an  invitation  from  a  noted  Veterinary  Surgeon,  of 
London,  to  visit  him  in  1877.  I  felt  somewhat  flattered  to 
go  so  far  as  a  castrator  and  said  yes.  The  Russian  and 
Turkish  war  prevented  me  from  meeting  the  gentleman, 
Geo.  Fleming,  for  he  was  needed  in  that  war  with  the 
Queen's  life  guard  horses.  But,  one  year  later,  October 
1878,  friends  in  New  York  City  urged  me  to  go.  I  boarded 
a  steamer  with  my  board  paid  across,  but  instead  of  getting 
fat  I  lost  all  of  my  fullness,  and  for  nine  days  a  sicker  child 
you  never  saw,  but  landed  at  Liverpool  alive  and  thanked 
the  Lord  that  it  was  no  worse  than  it  was.     I  soon  got  the 

—  68  — 


cars  and  in  ten  hours  reached  the  Langham  Hotel,  London. 
I  took  a  good  room,  and  took  a  bath,  and  in  that  bath  I 
took  a  chill.  I  rang  the  bell,  the  waiter  came,  my  jaws 
seemed  locked  but  I  said,  "A  glass  of  Bourbon."  Some- 
thing was  brought  and  swallowed;  in  time  the  fire  burned 
in  my  room,  and  the  spirits  got  in  its  work  going  through 
my  empty  stomache  clear  down  to  my  toes.  I  next  called 
for  the  dining  room;  between  table  d'hote  and  table  feed,  I 
got  my  fill  and  the  next  day  called  and  paid  my  bill  and 
found  it  took  just  $6.00  to  eat  one  day  when  hungry.  I 
had  a  letter  of  introduction  to  my  man  and  took  a  nice  cab 
and  spent  the  day  looking  over  London  for  him.  I  had  the 
wrong  numbers  by  ten  too  much  on  the  right  street.  I  at 
last  found  his  office  and  heard  that  lie  had  been  married  two 
days  and  was  in  Scotland,  to  be  home  in  a  month.  I  soon 
found  a  hotel  near  his  office.  Among  strangers.  Was  I 
lonesome?  I  should  say  so.  What  to  do  I  did  not  know. 
What  would  you  have  done?  I  did  nothing  for  a  week. 
Why?  Because  I  could  get  nothing  to  try  to  do,  and  I  al- 
ways since  that  pity  a  foreigner. 

Hurriedly,  as  I  left  New  York  City,  the  editor  of  Wilks 
Spirit  of  the  Times  handed  me  a  letter  of  introduction  to 
Mr.  Geo.  Fleming,  also  a  V.  S.  editor.  In  Mr.  Fleming's 
absence  in  Scotland  I  sent  this  introduction  to  him  in  my 
letter. 

Friend,  I  want  to  ask  you  a  question  right  now,  just  for 
pastime:  What  would  you  think  the  editor  of  the  largest 
horse  paper  in  New  York  City  would  say  to  the  editor  of 
the  largest  Veterinary  Journal  in  London,  Eng. ,  as  an  intro- 
duction for  a  free-born  American,  as  a  specialist?  The  let- 
ter was  not  sealed  and  I  read  it  and  came  very  near  tossing 

—  69  — 


it  in  the  ocean.     Guess  again.     No,  he  did  not  say  that. 
Guess  again. 

Mr.  Geo.  Fleming,  Esq. — Let  me  introduce  to  you 
Mr.  Farmer  Miles,  an  honest  man.  Any  favor  you  may 
show  him  will  be  appreciated  by  me. 

Most  respectfully,  Geo.  E.  Buck. 

I  mailed  that,  the  only  written  introduction  I  ever  had 
except  one  no  better  in  London,  in  my  letter  to  Scotland, 
and  soon  found  he  received  it  by  a  reply. 

All  Londoners  seemed  strangers  to  me,  and  as  I  thought, 
wished  me  to  be  a  stranger  to  them  or  leave  there. 

I  felt  lonesome  of  course  in  not  meeting  Mr.  Fleming, 
and  getting  him  to  say  in  his  Veterinary  Journal  that  I  was 
visiting  him,  and  friends  wishing  my  services  would  please 
call  on  him  at  once.  So  to  pass  my  lonesome  hours  away 
I  wrote  six  pages  of  foolscap,  took  it  to  a  printer  and  had 
2500*  printed  and  mailed  to  the  Veterinarians  of  England, 
Ireland  and  Scotland  and  some  in  France.  The  next  morn- 
ing my  landlord  said  to  me,  "A  gentleman  in  a  cab,  at  the 
door,  asks  for  you."  I  walked  out  to  him.  He  said,  "My 
name  is  Pritchard,  I  stop  at  the  Veterinary  College,"  and 
further  said:  "I  got  a  card  from  you  last  evening;  no  I 
mean  a  circular,  with  your  address.  I  am  anxious  to  make 
3^our  acquaintance  and  have  come  by  to  see  if  you  wont  eat 
dinner  with  me  some  day.  Will  you,  please."  I  answered 
promptly,  yes  sir,  if  you  have  more  to  eat  than  you  can  eat 
and  want  help  I  will  help  you.  He  next  asked  what  day  I 
could  come.  I  said  an3'  time.  "Could  you  come  to  day?" 
I  said  yes  sir  and  asked  the  hour  he  dined,  he  replied  "From 
half-past  six  to  seven."  I  said  Oh!  Oh!  I  don't  know 
that  I  can  wait  that  long  for  dinner.     His  horse  was  restless 

—  70  — 


and  fretting  to  go  and  we  parted.  At  6:30  p.  m.,  I  stood  at 
his  front  gate.  His  house  was  a  large  brick  on  a  hill;  his 
yard  fence  was  a  heavy  brick  wall  about  sixteen  feet  high, 
in  that  wall  was  a  heavy  door  or  gate,  by  which,  on  a  plate 
of  brass  was  written  plainly  ]  servants  !'  a  De^  knob  opposite 
each.  I  pulled  the  knob  for  visitors;  the  door  opened  and 
a  servant  faced  me.  I  asked,  is  this  where  Mr.  Pritchard 
lives?  With  an  emphasis  he  replied,  "This  is  where  Prof. 
Pritchard  lives."  1  told  the  servant  I  did  not  know  about 
the  'Prof  but  was  invited  to  dine  with  him.  I  was  shown 
into  the  library  to  await  Mr.  Pritchard's  arrival.  Fifteen 
minutes  later  when  the  door  opened  in  walked  the  gentle- 
man and  took  me  by  the  right  hand  cordially,  and  with  his 
left  hand  grasped  my  wrist  and  said,  "Farmer  Miles,  I  am 
glad  to  make  your  acquaintance  indeed,  take  a  seat."  I 
did  so,  and  looking  around  his  large  library  said,  Mr.  Pritch- 
ard this  is  a  large  house  you  have;  how  much  of  a  family 
have  you?  "I  will  show  you"  he  said,  and  stepped  out  and 
soon  returned  with  his  pretty  lovely  wife,  saying,  "Mr. 
Miles,  Mrs.  Pritchard"  and  I  took  her  by  the  right  hand 
and  caught  her  wrist  and  said,  I  was  so  very  glad  to  shake 
hands  with  a  lady  once  more,  saying  I  had  left  home  and 
family  two  months  ago  and  had  been  with  strangers  ever 
since.  Then  Tony  a  little  skye  terrier  was  presented  and 
the  Professor  said  "They  are  all  of  my  family."  I  replied, 
not  numerous  Professor,  but  lovely  as  far  as  they  go. 

Dinner  was  waiting  and  I  was  invited  to  the  dining  room . 
and  seated  to  a  large   table   full  of  meats,    vegetables  and 
other  good  things,  lacking  cake  and  pies  only.     While  the 
Professor  carved  the  roast  pheasant  and  a  quarter  of  lamb 
and  put  on   my  large  plate  more  than   I  ever  ate  in  one 

—  71  — 


day,  two  nice  looking  white  men  as  waiters,  with  white 
aprons  and  white  caps  on,  attended  us,  the  first  placing  my 
bountiful  plate  before  me  The  second  waiter  placed  three 
wine  glasses  and  a  goblet  before  me,  and  filled  my  goblet 
out  of  a  bottle;  it  looked  like  water.  He  then  did  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Pritchard's  likewise.  In  that  time  I  had  tasted  from  my 
goblet  and  found  it  sweet  and  delightful  and  drank  half  of 
it,  the  waiter  at  once  returned  and  filled  it  again.  I  was 
so  delighted  with  the  company  of  Mrs.  Pritchard  and  not 
thinking  nearly  emptied  my  goblet  the  second  time.  When 
the  waiter  returned  to  refill  it  I  put  my  hand  on  his  arm  and 
said,  hold  on  Mister,  I  don't  know  what  this  is;  perhaps  I 
have  enough.  I  held  him  away  but  he  stood  there  until  I 
took  my  hand  from  his  arm,  then  refilled  it,  full.  After  as 
pleasant  a  dinner  as  I  ever  had,  we  retired  to  the  sitting  or 
family  room  and  their  questions  kept  me  talking  all  the 
time.  I  looked  at  my  watch  and  was  so  surprised  that  I 
asked  Professor  Pritchard,  what  time  is  it  please?  'Oh  it 
is  early  yet."  I  said  I  did  not  a.^k  you  that,  what  time  is 
it  please?  "Eleven,  only,"  he  said  Will  you  please  give 
me  my  hat  and  cane?  "Oh  it  is  early  yet"  said  he.  Yes 
sir,  but  I  make  it  a  rule  not  to  talk  people  to  death  the  first 
visit,  and  would  not  sit  down.  I  got  my  hat  and  cane  and 
bid  them  good  night,  and  started  to  walk  about  a  mile,  I 
now  think  I  was  entirely  sober,  but  if  some  of  those  lamp 
posts  I  passed  could  have  spoken,  that  we  would  have  had 
an  argument  right  there. 

I  got  to  my  hotel  nicely;  slept  well  and  felt  happy  that 
I  had  found  such  nice  friends;  my  lonesome  blues  had  taken 
wings  and  gone.  At  breakfast  my  landlord  handed  me  a 
letter;  I  opened  it  and  read:     "Farmer  Miles,  dear  friend — 

—  72  — 


I  have  just  met  my  most  intimate  friend;  he  is  very  anxious 
to  meet  you.  Won't  you  please  dine  with  me  today  and 
meet  him?  I  took  that  letter  to  my  room  and  in  answer 
said:  Prof.  Pritehard,  yours  of  this  a.  m.  at  hand.  As  long 
as  the  grub  is  as  good  as  it  was  last  night  you  can  depend 
on  my  company  at  any  time. 

I  rang  the  same  bell  at  6:30  and  was  taken  to  the  family 
room  and  enjoyed  Mrs.  Pritehard' s  company  for  half  an 
hour,  when  I  was  introduced  to  Dr.  T.  W.  Talbott,  one  of 
London's  best  veterinarys. 

These  two  gentlemen  were  to  me  as  brothers  from  then 
'till  now.  Friends  in  need  are  friends  in  deed;  I  then 
understood. 

Prof.  Wm.  Pritehard,  head  of  the  great  Veterinary  Col- 
lege in  London,  took  me  four  different  days  out  in  the 
country;  one  time  about  eighty  miles  and  introduced  me  and 
saw  me  operate.  He  had  over  two  hundred  students  in  the 
college.  Prof.  Pritehard  always  paid  the  bills  at  all  times 
and  exacted  the  strangest  favor  of  me  you  could  think  of. 
If  you  are  not  tired  I  will  tell  all  about  it:  These  2500  cir- 
culars I  sent  to  all  Veterinarys  and  some  Lords  were  offen- 
sive there;  many  said,  "The  worst  Yankee,  the  biggest  fool 

and  the liar  of  them  all  is  in  London  now,   pretending 

to  cut  ridgling  horses;  it  never  was  done  and  how  can  he, 
a  farmer,  be  so  smart?"  I  think  it  was  our  third  day  out 
and  eighty  miles  away;  Prof.  Pritehard  introduced  me  to 
ten  rich  veterinary  gentlemen.  Quite  a  lot  of  others  col- 
lected to  see  this  American  Farmer  handle  five  large  ridg- 
ling horses;  one  seed  only  could  be  seen  or  felt.  I  soon  got 
to  work  and  did  two  nicely  at  $25.00  each.  I  then  said, 
come  gentlemen  this  is  not  fair,   I  am  a  cripple  and  this  is 


hard  work;  I  will  give  either  one  of  you  $25.00  to  do  the 
third  one  while  I  rest;  take  ray  rope  and  knife  and  go 
ahead.  Prof.  Pritchard  saw  the  point,  turned  his  back  on 
me  and  ha  hawed  out  loud.  He  then  said  to  Mr.  Brown, 
V.  S.,  one  of  the  ten  invited  friends  of  his:  "Brown,  you 
never  made  five  pounds  in  five  minutes  in  your  life;  do  one 
and  rest  the  gentleman."  Mr.  Brown  replied,  "I  believe 
not  now  Professor,"  and  they  all  ha  hawed.  I  acted  aston- 
ished and  said,  this  is  the  strangest  crowd  I  ever  saw;  that 
none  of  you  want  any  money.  If  you  will  go  to  America 
and  offer  any  Yankee  $25.00  for  a  nut  out  of  a  horse  like 
one  of  these,  I  think  in  ten  minutes  he  would  show  you  the 
seed  or  paw  a  bushel  of  guts  out  of  the  horse.  But  instead 
of  hearty  ha  ha's  the  music  now  was  screams  and  howls  and 
sitting  down  on  the  dirty  ground  in  mirth. 

I  called  the  groom  with  the  the  third  horse,  saying,  come 
on,  they  won't  help  us,  lets  go  on  and  get  done.  And  I  did 
the  third,  fourth  and  fifth  ridgling.  These  doctors  had  the 
time  and  agreed  on  one  hour  and  six  minutes.  While  col- 
lecting my  ropes  and  instruments  Prof.  Pritchard  was  col- 
lecting my  pay  and  handed  me  $125  00,  which  he  called 
twenty-five  pounds.  We  washed  some  at  the  barn  and 
went  to  the  house  and  re-washed  and  took  some  wine.  I 
talked  much  more  than  my  share  to  answer  questions. 
After  a  splendid  dinner  and  drinks  of  more  kinds  than  I  had 
ever  seen  on  a  table,  with  two  hours  more  talk  and  our  train 
coming,  these  ten  veterinary 's  thanked  me  for  the  most 
pleasant  day  they  had  spent  in  a  year,  and  all  said,  "I  will 
collect  business  at  my  place  for  you,  and  want  you  to  come 
the  day  before  and  spend  the  night  with  me"  I  said  to  all 
I  will  be  much  pleased  to  visit  you  at  any  time,  when  $100 

—  74  — 


follows  it. 

When  on  the  cars  tor  London  that  day,  Prof.  Pritchard 
asked  that  strange  favor  of  me;  he  said,  "I  want  to  ask  a 
favor  of  you."  I  said,  anything  in  my  power  Professor  is 
granted,  what  is  it?  He  said,  "Promise  me  when  you  are 
surrounded  by  Veterinary's  in  England  like  you  were  today 
and  have  ridgling  horses  to  cut,  that  you  will  not  get  done 
before  you  stop,  and  offer  any  of  them  ^"5  to  do  one."  And 
because  of  that  promise  I  made  the  offer  all  over  England, 
Ireland  and  Scotland,  but  never  found  a  man  that  wanted 
any  money  on  such  terms.  But  I  heard  much  laughing 
over  it,  &c,  &c,  &c. 

QUESTIONS,    ANSWERS    AND    EXPLANATIONS 

Q.  Why  do  some  colts  swell  more  than  others,  all  cut 
at  the  same  time  and  way? 

A.  (The  serum)  or  drip  cannot  get  out  and  the  parts 
fill  up  with  bloody  water,  for  some  men  cut  a  four- inch 
gash  well  forward  on  one  side  and  only  a  two-inch  gash 
well  back  on  the  other  side;  the  two-inch  cut,  far  back,  will 
shut  first  and  swell  most  every  time. 

For  example,  two  plain  cases:  I  cut  a  nice  two-year-old 
colt  for  Capt.  A.  Hulse,  East  Nantucket,  N.  Y.  I  made 
both  cuts  alike  four  inches  long,  well  forward;  put  my 
chain  over  both  seeds  at  once;  lifted  both  seeds  side  by  side 
three  inches  up  with- colt  on  his  back.  I  had  plenty  of  time 
and  good  help.  I  took  both  seeds  off  at  once,  side  by  side. 
Five  days  later  I  happened  to  pass  there  and  saw  that  colt 
he  was  swelled  badly  on  one  side  and  not  any  at  all  on  the 
other  side.  Because  the  Captain  thought  as  I  took  both  off 
at  once,  t  took  both  out  of  one  gash.  He  was  instructed  to 
open  that  colt  twice  a  day  three  inches  up  for  five  days.   He 


did  one  side  that  way  but  the  other  side  was  not  opened  at 
all,  but  was  grown  up  tight  and  swelled  badly.  The  other 
side  had  no  swelling  at  all.  Remember  this  was  five  days' 
neglect  on  one  side. 

Now  let  me  tell  you  of  a  one  day's  error:  I  was  called 
by  both  letter  and  telegram,  from  New  York,  to  come  to 
Babylon,  L.  I.,  to  alter  a  colt  that  Dr.  Clock,  V.  S.,  tried  to 
alter  and  found  two  cords  in  the  groin,  but  no  seed.  A 
fine  colt  in  a  bad  fix. 

That  was  the  worst  swelled  yearling  in  one  day's  time 
I  ever  saw.  Please  notice  particularly;  Dr.  Clock  is  a  good 
veterinary  and  a  nice  gentleman,  but  was  not  in  practice 
castrating,  and  cut  five  inches  further  back  than  I  would; 
then  he  failed  to  recognize  the  testicles  that  he  held  in  his 
hand  all  the  time  in  the  cords,  as  he  called  them,  and  felt 
and  gouged  around  in  the  colt's  groin  one  hour  and  ten  min- 
utes, so  good  witnesses  told  me  when  I  cut  the  same  colt 
twenty-four  hours  later.  Swelled  as  large  as  a  gallon  jug; 
stiff  and  sore.  Dr.  Clock  soon  found  the  tunics,  but  failed 
to  recognize  the  undeveloped  testicles  from  his  cuts,  so  far 
back.  He  held  the  testicles,  tunic  and  all  in  his  hand, 
pulling  and  squeezing  them  and  the  colt  struggling  one 
hour  and  ten  minutes  and  gave  it  up. 

I  tied  that  stiff  colt;  pushed  him  over  gently;  turned 
him  on  his  back,  saw  the  seeds,  and  tunic  not  split,  all  red 
and  inflamed,  and  two  pockets  of  serum  near  the  end  of  the 
sheath.  I  first  split  his  gashes,  from  the  front  end  on  for- 
ward about  five  inches,  put  my  ecraseur  on  both  testicles, 
striffin  (tunic)  and  all,  and  gently  lifted  up  three  or  four 
inches,  and  bit  both  off.  If  Dr.  Clock  had  have  cut  as 
much  in   front  of  the  testicles  on  the  sheath,   as  he  did  be- 

—  76  — 


hind  the  testicles  there  would  have  been  no  swelling,  for 
the  drip  would  have  dropped  out,  but  he  had  two  deep  pock- 
ets in  the  sheath  and  felt  all  up  and  in  the  groin,  and  all 
lacerated  parts  shed  blood  or  serum  or  both,  to  be  caught 
in  the  sheath  pockets  and  soak  through  the  tissues  as  water 
soaks  in  a  sponge. 

Q.     Does  everybody  open  colts? 

A.     No;  but  that  is  best  for  both  colt  and  owner. 

Q.  Why  open  cut  colts  or  stallions  twice  a  day  for  five 
days  when  you  see  they  do  drip  right  along? 

A.  To  commence  the  first  two  or  three  hours  after  and 
slip  two  fingers  up  full  length  and  open  them  well  does  not 
hurt  the  colt  then,  and  lets  out  all  accumulation  of  serum; 
to  repeat  that  twice  a  day  hurts  but  little  and  you  are  sure 
to  have  no  swelling.  But  let  it  alone  while  the  drip  comes 
for  four  or  five  days,  then  try,  and  you  hurt  the  colt  in 
tearing  open  the  adhesions;  you  are  too  late  to  stop  swell- 
ing, for  the  serum  has  lost  its  outlet  and  has  spread  out  in 
the  sheath.  It  is  too  late  to  get  the  swelling  to  drip  out 
after  it  gets  hard  and  hot,  and  feverish.  Nature's  way  is  to 
make  the  parts  hot  and  cook  this  serum  down  to  pus  (as  we 
boil  maple  sap  down  to  syrup);  it  comes  to  a  head  like  a 
boil  and  breaks  and  runs  out  as  pus.  We  want  to  avoid  all 
that  pain  and  fever  to  the  horse;  it  is  easy  to  do  and  more 
than  pays  for  all  trouble.  Auticeptics  are  good  in  opera- 
tions but  I  think  to  keep  wounds  open  until  the  drip  stops 
is  the  the  best  way — for  about  five  days. 

Q.  How  long  does  it  take  for  colts  to  get  sound  and 
wrell  after  castration. 

A.  Any  and  all  colts  and  stallions,  opened  properly, 
should  be  entirely  well  in  ten  days. 


MILES"  STRING  ECRASEUR  FOR  CASTRATING  (different  sizes) 


\ 


SPAYING    ECRASEUB 


Q.  Do  you  like  the  ecraseur 
best? 

A.  I  like  that  principle  the 
best — a  crush  off.  But  I  make 
and  sell  for  fifty  cents  each,  a 
string  and  ring  ecraseur  that 
works  like  a  charm.  Farmers 
need  no  other  ecraseur  to  cas- 
trate colts,  stallions,  rams,  old 
bulls,  or  to  crush  any  artery  with 
once  or  twice  one-half  inch  apaTt, 
then  cut  off  with  knife  or  scis- 
sors still  nearer  the  seed. 

Nothing  else  does  better  work 
and  costs  so  little  as  this  string 
ecraseur,  but  Veterinarys  like 
more  show  of  costly  instruments. 

Q.  What  else  does  a  man 
need  to  cut  his  own  colts  with, 
your  way? 

A.  I  think  two  or  three  or 
more  neighbors,  between  them, 
should    have   a    good  set  of  my 

Ropes  and  Hobbles S5  00 

One  String  Ecraseur 50 

One  long  Spaying  Needle.  1  00 
One  Hook  Knife  (at  least)  1  50 
My  book  to  tell  how  to  work  2  00 

$10  00 

And  have  the  ropes  conven- 
ient in  case  you  want  to  cast  a 
—  79  — 


horse  or  cow  with  a  nail  or  snag  to  take  out,  or  to  cast  and 
gentle  any  wild  colt  with  and  break  it  without  getting  hurt, 
and  make  that  wild  colt  safer  all  its  life.  To  be  cast  easily, 
tied  properly,  rolled  over  and  over  and  perfectly  conquered 
at  first  is  the  best. 

I  handle  all  wild  horses  best  by  casting  them  and  re- 
casting and  sitting  en  them  with  robes  or  blankets  and  get 
the  fear  all  out  of  them. 

My  ropes  are  the  thing  to  cast  a  cow  or  mare  with  in  dif- 
ficult labor;  turn  them  on  their  backs  well  tied  and  push 
the  calf  or  colt  forward  to  get  room;  to  get  the  head  or  legs 
in  position  and  no  one  get  hurt.  Many  times  such  ropes 
are  badly  needed  if  bowels  are  snagged  and  out;  to  cast  a 
large  bull,  or  spay  cows  and  heifers;  to  cut  a  wart  off  of  a 
kicking  horse  or  cow.  Casting  them  is  the  best  way,  when 
it  can  be  done  so  easily  and  safely,  as  this  book  plainly  tells 
you  how  to  do  it. 

$io.oo  is  very  little  money  for  what  may  save  you  $100 
a  year,  and  still  be  worth  ten  times  their  cost  annually. 
Five  men  can  pay  $2.00  each  and  save  all  costs  the  first 
year  and  do  safer  and  better  work  than  you  can  hire  it  done. 
Do  it  yourselves. 

Q.  If  a  man  wants  to  see  this  fellow  that  does  all  this 
talking  do  the  work,  how  can  we  see  him? 

A.  Only  get  him  five  or  six  bad  ridglings  to  cut,  near 
you,  and  write  him. 

Statistics  of  Agriculture  for  1892  tell  us  that  the  United 
States  had 

15,498, 140  Horses,  at  $65.01  each $io,<-75»936-36 

2,314,699  Mules  at  $75.55  each 1,748,820.70 

16,416,351  Milch  Cows,   at$2i.4oeach S^^,/81^2 

—  80  — 


37.651,239  Oxen  and  other  Cattle,  at  $15.15.  5, 707, 491.55 
44  958,365  Sheep  at  $2  58  each 1,161,212.90 

Let  us  figure  a  little  on  our  horses  and  losses. 

I  am  confident  one  in  e\  ery  twenty  head  has  to  he  cas- 
trated annually  or  774,907  in  number,  and  that  six  per 
cent  (by  the  old  )  methods  die,  entailing  an  annual  loss  of 
over  three  million  dollars,  taking  the  value  at  $65.00  each, 
as  estimated  in  government  statistics.  I  am  sure  by  my 
improved  methods  that  one  half  of  that  loss  can  or  would 
be  avoided  annually  and  better  methods  adopted  all  over  the 
country,  for  all  time  to  come. 

O.  Suppose  I  buy  your  book  and  ropes  and  cannot  do 
good  work. 

A.  Anybody,  anywhere,  can  get  a  visit  from  me,  or 
cue  of  my  pupils,  at  his  home  by  talking  up  a  lot  of  such 
work  as  he  thinks  he  cannot  do  himself.  When  we  do  it  he 
will  see  it,  and  talk  it,  and  help  to  work;  then,  if  he  cannot 
he  had  better  sell  the  book  at  cost  and  quit  trying. 

Q.     What  do  you  sell  besides  the  book? 

A.  Everything  required  and  shown  in  this  book  such 
as  I  use  and  my  pupils  ask  for. 

I  have  castrated  and  spayed  stock  almost  all  over  this 
country  and  know  that  most  of  the  work  is  done  poorly,  by 
men  who  never  did  know  how  to  do  good  work. 

I  know  many  men  like  Dr.  Clock  that  don't  know  how", 
and  should  not  try,  until  they  do  know  more  in  this  line.  I 
know  their  work  for  I  have  to  cut  what  they  fail  on;  that 
tells  me  what  they  don't  know. 


—  81  — 


TO  THE  PURCHASER 


Dear  Sir — Your  book  will  show,  and  tell  you  plainly, 
the  ropes  and  instruments  I  use  and  like  best.  But  it  may 
not  be  convenient  for  you  to  buy  such  things  at  your  home. 
Or  you  may  not  have  leisure  time  to  put  your  ropes  to- 
gether as  well  as  we  do  it;  for  we  make  them  here  to  sell  to 
our  pupils,  at  the  following  prices: 

i  set  Farmer  Miles'  Castrating  Ropes,  con- 
sisting of 

i  Back  Rope  16  ft.  long  s/s  in.  best  cotton 
i  Circingle  '8       "         $/%    ' 
i  Chin  Rope  10       "         y2    ' 
2  Knee  Ropes  7       "         */>    ' 
1  Nose  Twitch,   wood,   flax  thread  filling 
4  Hobbles  of  Flax  Thread     .  .  ,     S  5  00 

Farmer  Miles'  Ecraseur,  metal         ,         .        15  00 

Farmer  Miles'  Best  String  Ecraseur,  for  all 

Farmer's  Castration      ....  50 

Farmer  Miles'  Four-Bladed  Castrating  and 

Spaying  Knife,  two  Hooks   .  .  .  5  00 

Farmer  Miles'  One-Bladed  Hook  Castrating 

and  Spaying  Knife         .          .          .         .  1   50 

Farmer  Miles' Long  Curved  Spaying  Scissors     6  00 

Farmer  Miles'  Spaying  Needle  (curved)  six 

inches  long,  this  is  the  best  Needle  known     1   00 

Farmer  Miles'  Spreaders  for  Ridgling's  Legs     5  00 

Sixty-five  feet  five-eights  inch  Best  Cotton 
Rope,  with  Double  Snaps  and  Links,  for 
Ridglings  work  only,    .         .          .  .         4  00 

—  82  — 


I  send  you  this  list,  not  that  I  am  a  merchant,  and  want 
your  trade,  but  just  to  help  you  along  right,  if  you  should 
need  my  help. 

Again,  I  say,  if  you  would  rather  buy  than  make  your 
own  outfit,  or  part  of  it,  look  over  these  articles  and  select 
what  you  need,  and  name  them  separately,  and  the  prices 
to  each,  and  then  all,  and  send  me  pay  for  them  in  P.  O. 
order  or  registered  letter,  and  be  plain  in  your  name,  town 
and  county,  and  you  will  get  the  goods  promptly,  unless  we 
are  out  and  have  to  wait  a  few  days  to  have  them  made;  but 
I  will  try  to  keep  a  supply  on  hand  all  the  time. 

Yours  truly, 

FARMER  MILES. 
Charleston,  Coles  County,  Ills. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 


3  0112  076559225 


